When people watch TV, most of us tune out the commercials. But one night 6 months ago, Kelowna businessman Paul Nesbitt saw a drunk driving commercial and was moved to take action. The ad was for MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Paul thought to himself “What about the dad’s?” That very night he founded Canadian Designated Driver Dads, because he says “We were young once too.”

The premise is simple. Paul and his friends – all dads, and all volunteers– head downtown every weekend and when the bars close, they offer to drive people’s cars home for them.   And it’s all by donation.

“Rational thinking isn’t clearest after a night out,” he laughs, “all you are thinking is how do I get home?” The temptation is great.

Taking a cab costs money – to get home and back the next morning. If you are lucky your car is still where you left it, and in the condition you left it. The cost factor is huge, in many ways.  So, he says  “why drive when we can do it for you?”

Paul received a special taxi license from the City of Kelowna, and all the volunteers have to submit to a criminal record check. And so far it’s all been positive. “It’s all about getting kids home safe.”

More information about Canadian Designated Driver Dads can be found on their website: http://www.designateddriverdads.com

- This article is by Ami Catori. After almost 10 years as a reporter / producer in Mainstream news, Ami was heading for a straight jacket. Covering, and seeing so many negative, doom and gloom reports is draining. So, she decided to focus on the stories that she liked; the ones that make you smile. Ami will help share these stories with us there at Elated News.