ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – An Escanaba healthcare organization is making sure those going out to ring in 2025 get home safely.
OSF St. Francis Hospital and Medical Group is offering New Year’s Eve Liferides in Delta County. Between 7 p.m. on December 31 and 4 a.m. on January 1, anyone who has been drinking can call the DATA Bus or JN Taxi for a free ride home.
This is the Liferides program’s 40th anniversary. It started as a community effort to save lives after a tragic New Year’s Eve in 1983.
“There was a series of alcohol-related accidents,” said OSF Hospital and Medical Group President Kelly Jefferson. “In 1984, we started the program and there’s not been an alcohol-related accident or fatality in Delta County [on New Year’s Eve] since. At OSF, our mission is to serve with the greatest care and love, and that goes beyond the walls of the hospital. This is another way that we can serve our community.”
Liferides remain a free service thanks to the support of the Island Resort & Casino, the Edward J. Sackerson Foundation, the Community Foundation for Delta County, M3 Insurance, and Elmer’s County Market.
To get a Liferide, call the DATA Bus at (906) 786-1186, extension 1, or call JN Taxi at (906) 786-1122. Flyers with both numbers have been distributed to local bars and restaurants.
The DATA Bus encourages passengers to call to schedule their ride in advance if possible. Those planning to go out on New Year’s Eve are also encouraged to make plans to stay at a hotel or a friend’s house or to have a designated driver on hand.
