It’s after midnight on New Year’s Eve. You’ve finished celebrating and now you’re standing outside in the snow waiting for a taxi, when three men pull up and offer you a lift.
Do you get in?
The answer, mostly likely, is no.
But what if the driver is David Scarlatescu, owner of the Sprouted Fig, and he and his friends, Landen Ehnes, of Sunshine Autographics, and Mitchell Vanlerberg, are driving around the city offering rides home to anyone who needs one in exchange for a donation to the local food bank.
The 20-year-old entrepreneur said the idea came to him one night in October “by accident,” while he was serving as the designated driver for some friends who wanted to bar hop in Vancouver on Halloween.
“I pulled up in front of a bar to drop my friends off and these guys offered me $20 to drive them to another bar. I ended up doing that for the rest of the night — I think I made about $100,” Scarlatescu said.
When Scarlatescu and his friends decided to try the concept out in Vernon, Ehnes suggested making it a fundraiser for the local food bank.
Ehnes said they did not make donations a mandatory condition to receive a ride, but every person who accepted one gave “something.”
“We probably picked up about eight or nine people, and they all donated,” Ehnes recalled.
WATCH
Follow Scarlatescu, Ehnes and Vanlerberg on their NYE adventure.
(Video courtesy of Sprouted Fig, Facebook/Mitchell Vanlerberg)
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“They could have just as easily given nothing because a donation wasn’t necessarily required — our goal was just to pick up the overflow from taxis and Driving Hands, or people who hadn’t been able to coordinate a ride.”
The trio raised $100 in donations on New Year’s Eve, which they used to purchase food for the Salvation Army Food Bank in Vernon.
Lieutenant Stephan Reid, co-executive director of the Salvation Army, who accepted their donation on behalf of the food bank, said he appreciated their efforts, and the “ongoing generosity” of Vernon residents.
Ehnes and Vanlerberg, both 20, admitted it was “a little tough” to skip NYE parties with their friends, but said they ultimately felt helping people stay safe was more important.
“There are so many tragic stories,” Ehnes said. “So it was really a no brainer.”
“I mean really, if we picked up one person that called a cab company and found out there was a half-hour delay and considered driving or walking home because they didn’t want to wait, it was totally worth it,” Scarlatescu added.
While he admits the concept, though well-intentioned, caught a few off guard, Scarlatescu said it was a “fun and successful” project they plan to try again next year.
“I think we creeped a few people out,” he chuckled.
“I mean, you roll up in van, and ask strangers if they want a ride…it might seem weird without context, so I think we just have to clean up the asking portion. We did post on Facebook that we would be doing this and it got a good response. Next year we might reach out a little further. “
Erin Christie
Morning Star Staff
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