The school year at Mercer Island High School started last fall with two seniors planning on dedicating a lot of time to Saferides. What they didn’t know, in August, was just how many problems there would be in making it happen.

Saferides, a program run by MIHS students, offers rides by students to students on the Island on Saturday nights. The aim is to help kids get home safe.

Michael Diamond and Lauren Picton, both longtime volunteers with the program, made it their senior project.

“My friend, Lauren, and I did it last year, and this year no one had really started it yet, so we decided to make it our senior project,” said Diamond.

The program is set up with a phone number that students call, answered by student volunteers who send out a volunteer driver to pick up the caller. There is always an adult supervisor on hand — just in case.

But very quickly, it became apparent that things weren’t going smoothly. Diamond said the adult who had supervised in the past wasn’t available, and even harder to reach. Most importantly, the phone number Saferides had long used was no longer available — despite being printed on all of the MIHS students’ ASB cards. Paperwork for students to volunteer and the supervisors was incomplete and a new number was needed. Diamond asked his mother, Pam, if she was willing to supervise, a task she agreed to.

“It was a hard struggle to get it going,” she said. “The kids put in a lot of time.”

They managed to get a new phone number, but that was only a recent addition. Until just a few weeks ago, the organization used their Facebook page to let students know which number to call on Saturdays, and if Saferides was even running.

“Depending on the volunteers, if there are enough, it’s active, but it’s been pretty hit or miss,” said Pam Diamond. “I’ve been going as the adult who sits there every week supervising.”

For Diamond, his goal — now that things have stabilized — is getting it consistent again.

“I want to get it back up to the point where it can be run every week and be sustainable,” he said. “It should be easier now; we have really good people volunteering who should be able to step up next year.”

The group has been operating out of the Covenant Church on Saturday nights, and Pam Diamond said when they are able to run the program, there are always calls.

“We have not had a night without calls,” she said. There is a group of 10 consistent volunteers, Diamond said, with a larger group volunteering once or twice.

Now the students encourage their classmates to check the Facebook page to make sure Saferides is running that weekend.

“When people like it, they see the updates and where we used to post the number we were using,” said Diamond. “Now it’s good because it just lets people know we’re doing it.”

While it might not have been something Pam was expecting to be an active part of at the beginning of the school year, it has shown her the willingness of others to help.

“The volunteers are all good kids, and that makes me feel good,” she said. “Sahara Pizza has been really great. They donate a pizza when we do it and are always more than willing to help.”

Saferides does not run every Saturday night, depending on what is going on that week. Last week, the program was not available because of Tolo at the high school and there weren’t enough volunteers to staff it. But Diamond said he expects it to be consistent for the rest of the spring.

Learn more

Saferides operates on Saturday nights from 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Students can call (206) 941-4100 for a ride. Visit the Mercer Island Saferides Facebook page online to check on schedules and more.