Thursday April 16, 2026

Brothers,

Some may not know about the Driving Jacks program. Brother Jimmy Shields (Spring 1972 Pledge Class) and his wife, Mary, had a daughter,  Amy Sheilds. Amy also attended SFA. As an undergraduate, Amy kickstarted the Driving Jacks Program which provides safe rides home to SFA students and the community as a whole. Tragically, and ironically, Amy was hit and killed by a drunk driver while still a student at SFA. Amy’s friends, parents, students, and alumni have kept the program alive in Amy’s memory. Driving Jacks has furnished over 35,000 safe rides home.
Around 30 of us attend the yearly “Tuck Kemper Limp Along Golf Tournament” at Wally & Debbie Scoggin’s house in Seabrook, Texas. We collect money for our Delta Sig/Sawyers Scholarship Fund and also for a rainy-day fund. We had extra money from a rainy-day fund and decided to donate it to the Driving Jacks Program in honor of Jimmy’s daughter, Amy.

The Delta Sig/Driving Jacks check handoff is scheduled for Thursday, April 30th, 10:45 am in front of the Austin Building (steps). A new giant replica of a SFA ring will serve as a backdrop. Jimmy Shields will present the $10,000 check on behalf of all Sigs to the Driving Jacks, with as many Driving Jacks team members as possible. The schedule is tight due to students being between classes.

Several SFA leaders from Alumni and Advancement are invited. Robbie, Scott Goodrich’s wife, will take the picture and hopefully get us in the next Sawdust issue.

It’s a drive and a stretch for most Delta Sigs, but everyone’s welcome to this event. The much-appreciated contribution comes from all Sigs, from all years!

Click the link below for more information:

https://www.drivingjacks.com/

Driving Jacks Pamphlet:

Monday April 20, 2026

NOTE FROM JIMMY & MARY SHIELDS

Sawyers/Delta Sig Brothers:

First, Thank You for the $10,000 dollar donation to Driving Jacks!  It is truly hard for me to convey how much this donation means to Mary (Delta Sg little sis) and me.  Your donation to this organization will have a positive impact for not only Driving Jacks, but also the entire community of Nacogdoches.  (Later in the email, I will explain how it is also positively impacting others throughout the state.)

While the main purpose of this email is to Thank You, a lot has happened since 2004, when Driving Jacks was actually created, as a subcommittee of the Student Government Association.  Quote from the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel, "While the event was tragic, it motivates students to a noble cause, which Amy had once passionately advocated, the creation of a student run designated driver program."

In an article from the 2014 edition of the SAWDUST:  It states, "Ten years after Shields' passing, Driving Jacks is a thriving organization that has provided more than 22,350 safe rides home for University students and other members of the Nacogdoches community." 

To give you an idea of the impact Driving Jacks is having in Nacogdoches, I would like to share the following:  In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it found the the use of a rideshare program, just like Driving Jacks, had a significant impact, a 38.9 percent decrease to be exact, on the number of Drunk Driving accidents. As of a couple of weeks ago, Driving Jacks had provided 36,688 safe rides home which would equate to a reduction of 14,271 Drunk Driving Accidents/Incidents.

It is amazing that Driving Jacks was also able to survive the COVID Pandemic that caused the entire program to cease operations for a period of time.

There are a number of people that deserve credit for the survival of Driving Jacks after the pandemic. (None more so than the SFA Students that dedicated themselves to this cause!)

There is also another constant participant and leader that was present before and after the pandemic,  the Faculty Advisor for Driving Jacks, Dr, Erin Childress, Dir. of Pre-Health Professions and Lecturer for the Dept. of Biology.  She is a SFA Graduate, and she herself , served as a Driving Jack's team member as an undergraduate student from 2007-2009.

A couple of our brothers and their wives have also been very involved and supportive of Driving Jacks since the end of the pandemic, Wally and Debbie Scoggins and Scott and Robbie Goodrich.  They have assisted not only financially, but also with their Time and Talent.

Funding for any nonprofit organization is always a concern and ongoing challenge. A newly established program through the Nacogdoches County Attorney's office now designates a portion of the fines levied against DUI offenders to support the Driving Jacks organization.  This past year approximately $18,000 dollars was received by Driving Jacks, through this program.  More importantly, this program would not have seen the light of day or been implemented without the hard work of one of my pledge brothers, Scott Goodrich.  To "Goody"', We Thank You!

One of the Nacogdoches County Attorney's is Paige Pattillo, SFA Graduate. (Her father, Dr. Baker Pattillo, served as the President of SFA 2006-2018).  Paige is a member of the Texas District and County Attorney Association, and serves as a Faculty Representative, providing training to her constituents throughout the State of Texas.  In that role, she has the opportunity to present "Best Practices" for the enforcement of DUI laws and efforts to reduce DUI incidents. She is able to reach thousands of attorneys and Law Enforcement Professionals, (Police, Sheriffs, Victim Service Coordinators).  She has included a segment in her training that shares the Driving Jack's story, and the impact it is having in reducing DUI incidents.  She has already reached thousands of Law Enforcement Officials throughout the state, and that number will continue to grow.

Most Importantly, you should know that the SFA students that run the organization are truly committed to the Mission and Vision of Driving Jacks!  The organization is blessed to have Joseph Weidermann, currently serving as President of Driving Jacks.  He truly understands what it takes to keep the organization strong.  By the way, he is presently classified as a Junior with a 4.0 GPA, and plans to pursue his Masters in Music Composition and Conducting.

If you have not had the opportunity to visit the Driving Jacks website, https//www.drivingjacks.com, I encourage you to do so.  Click on the SPONSORSHIP tab, and you will see Sawyers/Delta Sigma Phi front and center.

With Sincere Thanks and Gratitude,

Jimmy and Mary Shields

YITBOS

Monday, April 20 2026

NOTE FROM JOE WEIDEMANN, PRESIDENT OF DRIVING JACKS

Dear Sawyers/Delta Sig Brothers,

I am honored to be given the chance to thank all of you for the wonderful thing you have done for our community. The ongoing support from your individual members, and now the entire membership, has been the very thing that has kept this organization afloat throughout the years (if not just financially, then for the knowledge that we always have trusted people to lean on). 

This year, we have provided 475 rides (with another weekend of operations and special events yet to come). This is far and away the most successful year we have had since the temporary disbandment due to COVID-19. This growth (as compared to 127 rides provided last year) will only continue. This is thanks to you and your contribution. All of you give me the flexibility to focus solely on our cause, and to rest in comfort knowing that we will always have the resources to do so. 

Working for this organization has been the most meaningful pursuit in my life, please do not read that lightly. There are amazing people I have met in this pursuit, from members and patrons, to sponsors, and most wonderful of all, Mr. and Mrs. Shields. Each person, unfortunately, has a very real and personal reason to support what we do. It does not escape me that the thing we are fighting touches us all in some way. Mine is my brother. James Unger was killed by a drunk driver in November of 2010. He was 14 at the time and has been survived by myself and my sister Andrea. I say this, begrudgingly, to assure you that your contribution to our cause is not taken for granted. As the overseer of the organization, I can assure you that each penny is used for one of three things: logistical operations, member retainment, and advertisement to the public. These items are essential to our efforts. Your contribution will save lives. Your support will change this community. Thank you, for the privilege to continue this fight on your behalf. Rest assured that my people are all as passionate as I, and will continue with the struggle as long as this topic remains relevant. Let us all hope that this will soon enough be a tragedy of the past, and we will no longer have new, beautiful names to lay in rest behind our efforts. 

With love and deepest gratitude,
Yours,
Joe Weidemann
President
Driving Jacks