Molson in the Community

permission from Paul McLeod to post his article (and his picture) from the Halifax Daily News on his experience with vision impairment goggles that Molson provided to raise awareness to make responsible choices this holiday season…

PAUL MCLEOD

The Daily News

You wouldn’t think you could fit a drinking binge into a pair of goggles. I didn’t.

But as my golf cart careened awkwardly into a cardboard stop sign, I discovered just how wrong I was.

Dubbed fatal-vision goggles, they simulate drunkenness to a surprisingly realistic degree. Everything looks slightly blurry and out of place. Your depth perception is shot and your co-ordination is MIA. Operation Red Nose volunteers will laugh as you struggle to slap a simple high five.

Operation Red Nose, Halifax Regional Police, RCMP and Molson joined forces to set up a fatal vision course yesterday to show the effects of drunk driving. The goal is to pilot a golf cart through a course of pylons and obstacles while wearing the goggles.

It sounds so easy.

I first try night goggles, which simulate the effects of about three or four drinks, while throwing in a greenish Hulk-vision to imitate night.

At high speeds

Eschewing caution, I buzz through the course at high speeds. The results are not pretty. On my worst run I hit seven obstacles, including some pylons, a truck and a cyclist. A train may also have been involved; I can’t be sure.

I slam the brakes as I roll to the finish line. Luckily, no one is taking any pictures with a cellphone camera.

I fare a bit better with the daytime goggles, even though they’re more powerful and simulate roughly six to eight drinks. With the goggles, it’s like driving drunk on absinthe while looking through a kaleidoscope.

“Go faster,” my photographer urges, only to laugh traitorously when I overdo a turn and take out an unsuspecting crowd of cardboard pedestrians.

Every so often, I think I’m getting the hang of it, and then inevitably feel a pylon ricochet off my back wheel.

Volunteers chuckle nearby. I can only imagine the police in the room are recording my name for future reference.

The goggles bought by Molson cost between $300 and $400, so at least it’s good to know they work. The exercise also works. I’m now skeptical of my ability to drive sober, let alone drunk.

Suffice to say, on the streets my golf cart and I would be history. Or at the very least, thrown in a cardboard drunk tank.

Parker Street Food & Furniture Bank has been providing food to low-income families since 1983, now they service an average of 250 families per week with supplemental and emergency groceries. An estimated 800 families will turn to them for food this Holiday Season. Proud to play their part the Halifax Molson team bagged fruit and vegetables through out the day, helped unload supply trucks and helped weigh out sugar and chocolates for the boxes.

Bruce Grimbleby had a great idea this December. He popped in one morning on his mail run and asked if we might consider setting up a bin to collect toys for the Shrine toy drive. A couple of emails later and a parallel drive at the Toronto brewery and the lobby had a banner hanging and bins ready to accept toys. We also added a food drive component. Just another example of how we can make a difference for those who might be strugglingat this time of year and year round. One conversation can make a difference for so many. On December 15th the Shriners had collected enough toys from other companies and individuals to provide nearly 2000 children with a stuffed animal and another toy from Santa. Best wishes for a happy holiday season.

There is nothing that puts a smile on my face in community involvement more than when a local front line sales representative steps up and makes something happen in their community. Another example of this is what Patrick Geary has done in North Bay. The Santa fund is a charity that provides and delivers food and gifts to families in the city of North Bay that are less fortunate. Each year they raise funds throughout the community in order to reach out to as many families as possible. Patrick saw the opportunity…knew it would make a difference and took on the initiative to engage Molson in this community activity.

We’ve launched a new web site related to responsible choices today, featuring and celebrating a number of responsible choice initiatives that Molson is partaking in across the country this holiday season. The “Here’s to Responsible Choices” link is on the right for you to access. There is a French site as well.

Here’s to Responsible Choices and a safe and joyous holiday season with family and friends.