April, 2006 - VOL III: Issue 4
car sharing alternative transportation club

Announcements

Happy Birthday, I-GO!

We're doing a bunch of things this month to celebrate:

We have a new logo you might like, and who knows, we might even keep it for a while.

Monday, April 10th in-car technology change. Dude, if you have to ask...

12%! Yes, 12% state rental car tax starting with your April 15th bill. Blame the government, we are trying to get some help for everyone.

Come celebrate our birthday at the Funky Buddha Lounge (728 W Grand - you know, by the Orange Element) April 6th from 6-9pm. We'll bring the cake and a car to demo the new technology. You bring the fun.

We're growing like a wild flower - this month, we will also be unleashing twelve (12) 2006 Honda Civics, Civic Hybrids and Elements. We'll add the cars to existing "I-GO neighborhoods" like downtown, Logan Square, Hyde Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Park and Evanston AND we'll show up in brand new neighborhoods like Albany Park and Oak Park. We are also hoping to get parking spots in Pilsen and South Shore so we can launch there sometime soon. If you can help us with dedicated parking in those areas, please contact us. And, check out that new Civic Hybrid. Richard, our Sales and Marketing Manager says "it's H-O-T."

Lost and Found

You will not believe the kinds of things members leave in the cars. Once we found two network servers - yeah, I said network servers - in one of the cars. For four months we tried to track down the owners. We emailed and called members and notified the police. When it was clear that no one was going to claim them, we found Nicole Cabell-Pope and her husband Cedric who needed network servers to develop their community-based Internet Radio station, North Lawndale Online (WNLO). The project is part of "Build Today, Lead Tomorrow," a nonprofit focused on youth communications and leadership training. The program trains youth in self-expression, good diction and grammar through speech.

Events

April 6

Funky Buddha. 6-9pm. Be there and check out the new in-car technology.

April 8

Visit the I-GO booth at the CREATIVE CHICAGO SPACE + HOUSING EXPO from 10am-3pm at the Chicago Cultural Center (77 E Randolph Street). Learn about space, housing and business resources for all Chicago Creatives in dance, fashion, film, media, music, theater and the visual arts. Admission is free, so bring a friend. For more information, call 312.744.6630 or visit www.chicagoartistsresource.org. Email Melissa to volunteer at the I-GO booth: mhaeffner@igocars.org or call 773.269.4084.

April 9

What are you doing Sunday from 3pm-9pm? What's that? Volunteering for I-GO? Fantastic! We need members to drive cars to our "Central Installation Location" at 1712 N Kilbourn. Most of our morning and afternoon shifts have been filled, but if you want to work overtime, we won't send you away! Volunteers will get free food, driving credits, and coupons to IKEA and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Email Melissa at mhaeffner@igocars.org or call 773.269.4084.

April 19

Celebrate Spring on your lunch break at the Bloomin' Terrific Earth Day Festival, Daley Plaza from10am-2pm. Bring some flowers back to the office or surprise your mate. Email Melissa to volunteer at the I-GO booth: mhaeffner@igocars.org or call 773.269.4084.

April 20

Save the date! I-GO will have a reception at Bridgeview Bank in Uptown to celebrate our car location. More details coming soon.

April 21

Are you a visual learner who needs to see the new technology up close and personal? Come to our Earth Day Hybrid Demonstration at the Center for Neighborhood Technology (2125 W North Ave). You'll meet our friend "fob" and go for a spin in one of our hybrids. RSVP to Melissa at mhaeffner@igocars.org or call 773.269.4084.

April 22

For the 3rd year in a row, I-GO will be at the Humboldt Park Earth Day Festival from 9am-2pm. Lend a helping hand cleaning up the park from 9-noon with Friends of the Park.

Upcoming

Join the Chicago Conservation Corps! We are excited to announce our partnership with the City of Chicago Department of Environment's new volunteer program, the Chicago Conservation Corps (C3). Learn from the experts during our five-week training workshop and discover the latest about the air we breathe, the water we drink and play in, the limited energy resources we depend on and the land that supports us. Then, develop and lead an environmental service project in your neighborhood. Interested? Attend a training preview in May. Call (312) 743-9283 for more information.

Member Profile

Caprice Williams, member since 2002, recently spoke at a press conference alongside Congressmen Danny Davis and Bobby Rush on behalf of I-GO. The event was to announce the $396,000 in federal money granted to increase the I-GO market area and total number of cars.

Caprice first heard about car sharing when she moved from Nevada to Illinois. Doubtful that her car could make the trip from Las Vegas to Chicago, she donated her car to charity. Once established in Chicago, she picked up a brochure about I-GO and decided not to buy a new car but to use car sharing instead.

Caprice has been active with I-GO ever since - sitting on committees, volunteering at summer festivals and attending the I-GO parties. She uses the cars for personal grocery shopping and for taking her mom to the movies, Schaumberg, Woodfield Mall and Skokie. Using I-GO supports her environmental beliefs, she says. However, when promoting the program to friends and families, she uses the economical argument first: "you don't have to worry about gas, car payments, insurance. It takes a big load off a person."

Meet Caprice and other volunteers at summer festivals this year. Caprice likes volunteering because you can get into festivals free and enjoy the entertainment while getting the word out about this great service. I-GO is going to be at even more festivals than ever. Members are the best volunteers because they know how to talk to regular people about how I-GO can benefit potential members. If you are interested in volunteering, email Melissa mhaeffner@igocars.org or call 773.269.4084.

Oh the Places I-GO!


The Dunes are to the Midwest what the Grand Canyon
is to Arizona and the Yosemite is to California.
They constitute a signature of time and eternity.

- Carl Sandburg

Now that you can finally go outside without a parka, why not remind yourself what nature looks like? The Indiana Dunes State Park is about 50 miles away from Chicago. The state park is home to the area's tallest sand dune, Mount Tom. Climb the 192 feet and see if you can see your apartment from the across the lake! You can take all day strolling along the lakeshore, wandering the wild prairie, figuring out what a spongy bog is and pointing out carnivorous plants - carnivorous plants! So get out of town before the bugs come out to play. Or, if you're not a nature person, you can check out the art galleries, restaurants and cafes, antique and craft shops or nearby outlet stores.


Welcome new business members OWPP, the Tile Gallery and Employ America!

Thank you to Fueled by Coffee for their stunning review of I-GO in their March blog. http://www.fueledbycoffee.com/

I-GO · 2125 W. North Avenue · Chicago, IL 60647 · 773.278.4446 · www.igocars.org