25,000th ITNCharlestonTrident Ride Provided on Friday, February 25, 2011.
25,000 Ride ITNCharlestonTrident (L-R) Olivia Rothschild (Volunteer Driver), Courtney Quattlebaum (Member Rider), Terry Brown (Chair-Board of Trustees), Phil Avery (Volunteer Driver)
1542 days after our FIRST RIDE on Nov. 15, 2006, when Volunteer Driver Phil Avery provided a ride to member rider Frieda Gearhart, we provided ride number 25,000 today.
Member rider Courtney Quattlebaum (picture attached) was provided our 25,000th ride by volunteer driver Olivia Rothschild. Mrs. Quattlebaum has been a regular rider with ITN for two years. Olivia is a student in a College of Charleston Gerontology Class and is providing rides this spring for ITN after choosing ITN as a project for credit in her class. Joining Mrs. Quattlebaum for the 25,000th ride were Terry Brown, Chair- ITN Board of Trustees and volunteer driver Phil Avery who provided the FIRST RIDE for ITN.
Joining in our 25,000th Ride Celebration, we are honored to have the following guest drivers, representing four of our community partners, provide our members with rides; Charleston County Council Chairman Teddie E. Pryor, Sr.; Town of Mount Pleasant Mayor Billy Swails; City of Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr; and City of North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey (picture attached). We thank these gentlemen for taking time out of their busy schedule to be part of our 25,000th Ride Celebration and for their ongoing support.
ITNCharlestonTrident would like to thank everyone who contributed in one way or another in helping ITNCharlestonTrident achieve this very significant milestone. We want to thank our great volunteers, our Board of Trustees, our community supporters and friends, our paid staff, ITNAmerica and, of course, our member riders. THANK YOU for believing in what we do and for supporting ITNCharlestonTrident from FIRST RIDE to the 25,000the ride and beyond.
Since our FIRST RIDE:
• 549 residents in the lowcountry have utilized ITN’s dignified transportation program.
• Over 75 different volunteers have provided safe, dependable and friendly rides to our member riders.
• Gas has gone from $3 a gallon in August of 2006 to $2.18 at the time of our FIRST RIDE in November, 2006, and back to $3 plus for our 25,000 ride.
• A total of 15 vehicles have been donated or traded to ITN for use by our paid drivers.
• Volunteers have consistently provided over 50% of all rides beginning in 2010.
• Current active volunteer drivers Phil Avery, Ginny and Dick Giffen, Terry Brown and Charlotte Anderson combined to provide our first 100 rides and they’re still going strong. Thank you for setting the high standards we continue today.
ITN (Independent Transportation Network): “Opening More Than Car Doors”. To learn more about the Independent Transportation Network, visit www.itncharlestontrident.org.