As NFL Season Starts, Operation Lifesaver Football PSA with Saints Kicker Premieres Online
Washington, DC, September 9, 2010 – As the 2010 national football season begins today with a Vikings-Saints rematch, a rail safety, anti-distraction public service announcement from New Orleans Saints kicker Garrett Hartley debuts on the Operation Lifesaver website (www.oli.org).
Hartley volunteered to tape a safety message in New Orleans for Louisiana Operation Lifesaver to remind sports fans to stay focused around tracks and trains. He explains how his 40-yard field goal in overtime during a crucial playoff game sent the Saints to their first-ever Super Bowl, from which they emerged the national champions.
“Because I stayed focused and did not get distracted, those 1.3 seconds changed my life,” Hartley said. “Being distracted for even a second around tracks and trains can really cost you—so stay focused . . . and stay alive.”
Helen Sramek, President of Operation Lifesaver, Inc. , reinforced his message. “The decisions you make at railroad crossings can make the difference between life and death. We greatly appreciate Garrett’s willingness to share this safety message with his fans along the Gulf Coast and nationwide.”
The 30-second public service announcement includes National Football League footage from Hartley’s historic field goal, provided with permission from the NFL and the New Orleans Saints. The PSA will appear later in the season in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma (Hartley is a University of Oklahoma graduate.)
In the last decade more than 13,000 people have been injured or killed in highway-rail grade-crossing collisions, according to Federal Railroad Administration statistics.
About Operation Lifesaver
Operation Lifesaver’s mission is to end collisions, deaths and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and along railroad rights of way. A national network of volunteers provides free presentations on rail safety. For more information or to request a free safety presentation, visit www.oli.org.
