Helping Intoxicated Drivers to Get Home Safely and Saving Lives with Chanda Park

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Interview Transcription

ADRIENNE:
Welcome back. And thanks for listening to the Team Lally Real Estate show home of the guaranteed sold program or we’ll buy it. I’m Adrienne and I’m still Attilio. And if you have any questions, just give us a call at 7999596 or check us out on the web at Teamlally.com. And before we bring our guests on, I just want to do a little reminder to our listeners, which is to follow us on Instagram. Tik Tok, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube. Just put in Team Lally

ATTILIO: 
everywhere they were like Toy Story. That’s right.

ADRIENNE:
Depending on the platform, you might be able to see us streaming this radio show.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah. Hey, you know everybody you hear like, you listen to a radio show for years and you’re like, I wonder what they look like. Do they look like a gorg from Fraggle Rock? Do they do they? Do they look like I don’t know. Do they look like Pierce Brosnan from James Bond? Well, you got it right. I look like a gourd from Fraggle Rock. And Adrienne looks like Pierce Brosnan from James Bond. Well, thank you. Well, you need to verify that Fraggle rock. Verify that by going online and seeing us live streaming the show. Oh, oh, all right.

ADRIENNE: 
Okay, on that note, our guest today is a graduate of with a Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and she is the Senior Marketing Director of World Financial Group and Financial Professional at World System Builder.

ATTILIO: 
Together with her husband, they founded SafeRide Hawaii, a nonprofit organization in honor of their daughter Azalia. Please welcome today’s guest, Chanda Park. Hello. Hi, everyone. Hello. Welcome. Welcome. Hello, hello. So right off the bat, you know, we like to tell people what is SafeRide Hawaii.

CHANDA:
SafeRide Hawaii is a nonprofit organization with a mission to save lives by providing services that take intoxicated drivers and their cars home safely. You. Awesome.

ADRIENNE: 
And then, with with with this, this program? Yeah. Can you share with our listeners? What was the why? Like, how did you guys start the program? Give us the story, please.

CHANDA: 
We started this program because our daughter Azalia Park, who was just 21 years old, was killed by a drunk driver. She was struck just as before Christmas, and this drunk driver app to set the scene. And she she was pronounced brain dead three days, three days later. So we, we wanted to start something that we could actually make a difference and help other families. You know, prevent other families from suffering, the tragic loss that we have. Yeah.

ATTILIO: 
That and thank you so much for sharing that story. I know, it’s kind of tough to have to talk about it again. But I think you’re you know, it’s it, here’s what we’ve learned is that when we sell send, when we trying to get a message across, if it’s a compelling one, like the one you just shared is going to be more effective. And you know, whether I would know this for a fact, Chanda that whether somebody takes advantage of the service or not hearing these words in your story is going to make them think, stop and think, do I really want to get up behind the wheel of a car? Because now you have an option? Where? Because you got it? Because it why is it that’s what’s important about you guys getting the car to home. In addition to the driver, yes.

CHANDA: 
People will end up convincing themselves that they can drive when they really shouldn’t be, just because they don’t want to leave their car behind. They don’t want to worry about it getting broken into getting a ticket getting towed. So they end up convincing themselves that they can drive when they’re intoxicated or impaired. And so this way, it eliminates any excuses that someone has, and it just provides another option to get them home safe, you know and get their cars home safe with them.

ATTILIO: 
I would say that this message is not only for that driver, but more importantly for the people around them that are sober and have an option to say we’re going to get you in your your car home safely because we’re going to call we’re gonna you guys have an app. What’s the app called?

CHANDA: 
SafeRide NOW

ATTILIO: 
Safe Ride? You guys are like Tony Robbins. Not safe ride later. Not safe right tomorrow. Right now.

CHANDA: 
Yes.

ATTILIO:
Yes. Like that. Love it.

ADRIENNE: 
Now, Chanda, I know that, you know, right after this tragic event happened. You had some sign waving? Yeah, that was taking place, you know, in honor of Azalia. And that was part of your legacy for her is that you’ll do this annually. So let’s talk a little bit about the sign right leaving that’s coming up and how our listeners can support Yep, can support and participate

ATTILIO: 
when when will it be?

CHANDA: 
It will be this year is going to be on Saturday, December 23rd starting at 4pm and it’s at the crash site where my daughter was killed is the intersection of Kahupaani Street and Ala Alii Street in Halawa. It’s near Ice Palace stadium on what’s

ATTILIO: 
the intersection in relationship to the Ice Ice Palace? Is it the big one over there that on the corner of? We’re looking? I gotta get my glasses.

CHANDA: 
Yeah, across it that is that

ATTILIO: 
Crosspointe? Yeah. So it would be complex? Yes.

CHANDA: 
Yeah, the entrance there.

ATTILIO: 
Okay. I know where that is.

ADRIENNE: 
So did people just? Did they just show up? Or do they need to sign up and alert, you know,

CHANDA: 
no one needs to sign up. People can just show up. There’s signs that we will have MADD has always been there every single year. And they have signs as well. And people are welcome to make their own signs, whatever they want on it. Yeah. And yeah, everyone just shows up.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah, I would encourage everybody, you know, you businesses out there. When you get your when you get your organizations together to go and support good or good things like this, it creates a positive vibe culture within your company. And it helps with retention. So I’m speaking to you business owners. Let’s let’s go down there for Azalia for all the young kids out there. For us having a safe holidays, it’s an appropriate time. DUI checkpoints are going to be out there in force. And so you can either do it this way with SafeRide. Or it’s going to be Officer Fernandez at the DUI does asking you to step out of your vehicle. And worse, that you might go out there and harm somebody. So

ADRIENNE: 
so so Chanda, I know like as you know, the holidays approach, there’s a lot of parties and gathering events, events, how would maybe like an event planner coordinate with SafeRide, Hawaii

ATTILIO: 
are these big companies that have these big Christmas parties where they can have you guys there.

CHANDA: 
They can just give me a call, you can call our SafeRide Hawaii number, which is 808-900-4610. And they can speak with me directly and we can coordinate with whatever event they have planned. That’s coming up.

ATTILIO: 
Hey, folks, you’re thinking, you know, I mean, here’s the problem when that when you have alcohol in your system, you’re not using good judgment. So you know, that’s the problem is that it’s not oh, what were you thinking you aren’t. And so I was a motorcycle safety instructor for like five years at Liberty Community College, and we did a module on alcohol. Adrienne, where Sean what has more alcohol, one beer, one glass of wine, or a mixed drink, which has more alcohol. They’re all equal, it’s all the same? And how long typically on average, does it take your body to process out the effects of the one drink how long? One hour per drink one hour per drink? You might be different for us one 300 pound guy versus a 90 pound lady, but on average, it’s one hour. So if you have three Jinks, you shouldn’t be getting behind the car for a minimum of three hours. And even then alcohol affects people in different ways. And so you know, people, you have now an option to even get your 92 you know, Toyota Tacoma the burger is cherry you get to get that one home to no excuses.

CHANDA: 
Yes, no excuses. Yeah.

ADRIENNE: 
Well, let’s talk a little bit the logistics about how does this work? And where did the drivers come from? Yeah. How can we get involved as a community to support and help SafeRide Hawaii? Yeah.

CHANDA: 
Well, right now, all of our drivers are volunteers. So if anyone is interested in volunteering, please give me a call or go to our website SafeRidehawaii.org. And you can sign up to be a volunteer there again, you can call the number 808-900-4610. And I can walk the person through the process of being becoming a volunteer driver. And so how this service works is that we have two drivers. One will drive the intoxicated person and their car home and there’s a second driver who the chase driver that will pick up the person that you know, brought the customer home. Yeah.

ADRIENNE: 
Now we had talked about this chase driver. Yeah, they could be as young as 16 years old because your time because yeah, because your son 16 Lincoln, right, who he has the 16

CHANDA: 
Okay. 16 years old. Yes. Uh huh. So He is a licensed driver and he does help out. I know that there’s restrictions at young ages even though you have Your driver’s license. So depending on the time, yes, I can even use young volunteers.

ATTILIO: 
And you know what, when you guys pull up, you know what they dressed that you have one regular shirt on the top, but underneath, they have another shirt, and it has a big S on the chest because they are like Superman and Superwoman. You today, so Lincoln, when he pulls up, he’s gonna rip his shirt off, and he’s gonna have a Superman thing underneath. Yes, but the answer is not for Superman is for SafeRight Hawaii. Right? That’s right. Yeah,

CHANDA: 
exactly. Yeah. So we’re all in this together, we are a community that we really should care about one another, and one another’s families and children and loved ones. So if we all do our part, we can make a huge difference in keeping our roadways safer and our community safer. You know,

ATTILIO: 
people talk about the aloha spirit. Aloha spirit isn’t anything you can put your finger on, but it’s what we do and how we are it is. So if you want to show some aloha spirit, coming up through the holidays, or even after that, please make a donation. Make a donation to help support and or come on site. We do some sign waving. Volunteer December 23 4pm. Yep. And

ADRIENNE:
then I know that you guys do a, a fundraising event and you know, Attilio and I, we were able to attend that. Oh, the

ATTILIO: 
one with the dinner. Yeah. Oh, that was nice. Beautiful.

ADRIENNE: 
Anyway, that’s great. So yeah, all sorts of operas. Yeah, it was,

CHANDA: 
that was our first one. And it was a huge success. So we’re very happy about that. Yeah. So

ATTILIO: 
if you couples out there and it’s you know, it’s past the honeymoon period is getting kinda rough. You can kill two birds with one stone date night and support Safe Ride. Because you know, if you don’t come to this event and support you guys will get off, be out, be out somewhere. You don’t pick up people. They’re getting all pissed off with each other. And they’re arguing like you get your own ride home. Not that kind. Right? Right. Don’t do that kind safe, right? No, no, figure it out. You couples come to the date night support a good event? And then you know, you never know I always say this the life they may be saving might be somebody you know, might be somebody you know. So support

CHANDA: 
these in Hawaii, chances are high with that. Yeah. Well,

ATTILIO: 
I know that guy, you know, and we don’t want to read about him in the news, or the newspaper. We want to see that he posted on his tic tock. Oh, man, I got all boss last night. But thank you safe, right, Hawaii forgetting me. And my 92 you might 92 Toyota Tacoma, the brother is cheering and they came home safe too.

ADRIENNE:
So as we wrap things up with you, was there anything that you wanted to share? That we did not get to touch on? Yeah.

CHANDA: 
I don’t know. So thank you for having me on and giving me the opportunity to share about SafeRide Hawaii.

ADRIENNE: 
course anytime,

ATTILIO: 
anytime. We’ll have you on again, because it’s an important message that needs to be gotten out there. That’s right. That’s for sure.

CHANDA: 
I feel that everyone needs constant reminders.

ATTILIO: 
Yep. You’re everybody knows what they need to do. We just need to remind them.

CHANDA: 
Remind them Yeah, and every we all have a choice. So we just have to choose responsibly.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah. Where we are in life is based on the choices you make. Good or bad. Yeah, it’s all up to you.

ADRIENNE:
Make a good choice. Yes, we’re SafeRide Hawaii SafeRidehawaii.org.

Thank you. Safe Ride.

ATTILIO: 
Thank you. Now. Now, you know whether you should download the app now. SafeRide NOW. All right. Thank you.

CHANDA: 
Thank you. Mahalo.

ATTILIO:
All right, folks. It’s a real estate show. But if anything, it’s a real estate show. That’s not a real estate show, obviously, by the guests that we have and the messages that we’re trying to get out. We’re coming into the holiday, you know, when’s the best time to come up with those New Year’s resolutions? At midnight on New Year’s Eve, when you all boss up? No, no start start now. Successful people start their planning for the following year personal or business wise in the last quarter of the year before. So now is a good time to be putting those things in place for those New Year’s Eve goals for those New Year’s resolutions, and one of them would be that if I’m the head of my organization, public nonprofit, whatever, that I’m going to make sure that we have SafeRide at our events. We’re gonna make a donation and we’re gonna have SafeRide at our events so that we guarantee the people that our event will get home safe no matter

ADRIENNE: 
what then we’re gonna go signwave December 23

ATTILIO: 
December 23 Over there by Ice palace up the road by the Crosspointe entrance, I think is that intersection and 4pm Bring your signs are going to have signs for you posted on social media, you know you guys taking pictures of food and doing selfies and sunsets, I’m gonna do some of that for a good cause go take yourself picture of you and selfie waving signs. And not only are you going to get that moment to you know, we’re going to have that moment and people realizing what’s going on on the street. But you’re going to get it all Ooh, like a pebble in a pond going out on all your social media. And I will tell you right now we how we are and go through the world has an effect on people that we come in contact through directly or indirectly. And you’ll never know that when you helped in this one moment that it made somebody make a decision to stop and think about getting behind the wheel or not. So come out.

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