Recently Global TV Quebec asked for stories on St Patrick’s Day. We thought we would send in the following story of how the St Pats Drunk Dial came into being. For your benefit we thought we’d reprint the letter for the whole web:
Hi Global TV Quebec, let me share a St. Patrick’s Day Story. This is probably one that is not quite in the scope of things but it’s story of how a St Patrick’s Day tradition was born and how it has gone as far as getting space on Times Square in New York City this year.
Once upon a time there was a boy of Sri Lankan descent (me) who moved to St. John’s, Newfoundland and ended up making lots of friends. So many that I now consider Newfoundland to be my home, despite living in Montreal right now. While there, every St. Patrick’s Day, we would go out to celebrate, share good times and have a pint or two.
Later in life we all grew up and finally we all moved out and moved around the world (and I mean everywhere!) only to get together once a year or so at weddings or Christmas in St. John’s.
But St. Patrick’s Day, well, no matter where we were we would celebrate it. Five years ago I came up with the “blindingly stupid” idea that my friends should
phone me after they had had a few pints on St. Pat’s no matter where they were.
Blindingly stupid because I never counted on the timezones and my own drinking. However the stories from what I remember were fantastic. And so was born the St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial.
In subsequent years we set up a web site and a phone number to record it. We judged the best entry and gave them a bottle of Screech
Rum.
This became so much fun for our friends that word got out. One friend in BC reported how a complete stranger came up to him at a party to tell him about it.
Last year, to our incredible surprise someone told CBC Newfoundland and suddenly our winner was not one of our friends but the fantastic St. Patrick’s Day story sent in by Dan Niederloh in Hawaii.
This year (the fifth year) we decided that we would bring the St. Patrick’s Drunk Dial to as many people as we can. We launched a website (http://stpatsdrunkdial.com), a video on YouTube and a press release to the world!
We don’t want to make money (yes there are google ads on the site, but let’s face it, we’ve only ever made $50 in five years so whatever). It is not commercial, it is simply my friends and I (now based in Montreal) sharing some of the fun we’ve had and some of the laughs we’ve shared with as many people as we can. We personally have put up all the money to do this.
To that end, we actually bought some time on the Reuters sign in Times Square to advertise the Drunk Dial between 4-7pm on March 17th
There you go, that’s my St. Patrick’s Day story from a non-Irish, Sri Lankan, Newfoundlander living in Montreal who believes that St. Patrick’s Day truly is about toasting a good time, to present and absent friends and reconnecting with those around you.
I hope the staff of Global Quebec will dial in this year and tell *US* a fun story in return for the above, that’s all that we ask!
PS. I’ve copied the press release we issued if you are curious and interested.
The following is the official 2009 St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial press release:
Don’t Drink and Drive! Drink and Dial the St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial!
Introducing the World-Wide Debut of the St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial!
“Drunk Dialling” is a world wide phenomenon affecting millions of unsuspecting people when intoxicated friends and family are struck with an uncontrollable urge to phone their loved ones. Many of us have been victims of these early morning calls and now, thankfully, there is a way to avoid those 3 a.m. phone calls.
This year for St. Patrick’s Day, instead of drunk dialing loved ones, why not phone the St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial and share your St. Patrick’s Day experiences. Your message will be saved on the web allowing your friends and family, and other St. Pat’s revelers, to listen at their leisure.
The St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial began a few years ago when a group of Canadian college friends, who had spread around the world since graduation, wanted to get in touch with each other during St. Patrick’s Day festivities. As with all good ideas, the idea grew over the years. In 2008 the Drunk Dial was covered by CBC Radio Newfoundland and on several online newspapers. We’ve had so much fun; this year we wanted it to spread the laughs to more than just our friends.
Not only does the St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial help you avoid alienating friends and family, and possibly avoid that embarrassing drunken phone call to your ex, it may even help pad your wallet in these tough economic times. Each call will be published online and the most humorous entry will win a $100 (US) prize. This year there will also be “People’s Choice Award” with a prize of $50 (US).
From last year’s winner Dan Niederloh:
“St. Patrick’s Day is my favorite holiday, due to the sanctioned Guinness drinking. I was enjoying it at home in Hawaii with my two sons and read of the Drunk Dial online. I thought it a brilliant idea for sharing the festivities with folks far away, and my sons encouraged me to get “drunk enough” to leave a memorable message. So after a bit of libation I imagined what it was like for those to whom the holiday is a source of melancholy, and left a message at the number provided. The next day I had all but forgotten what I growled into the answering machine, until a phone call came telling me I won the contest!”
Anyone who is struck by the St. Patrick’s spirit can participate, regardless of what other “spirits” may have been consumed. Many of the best entries have been from tea totaling sober types who are just plain funny. While we acknowledge that, for many, a drink or two is all part of the festivities on St Patrick’s Day, we want everyone to drink responsibly. No one should drink and drive when they can drink and dial the Drunk Dial… before they call a cab to take them home.
How to Participate:
1. Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day between 12:01am ET, March 13 and 12:01am ET March 23
2. Dial 1-888-734-1285 and leave us a funny message or just say hi! The number is Toll Free in the US/Canada, normal air-time charges may apply.
3. In the event the above number does not work, dial 1-802-752-4671 (this number is not toll free)
5. Come back to our website to listen to your message over and over again!
Remember the St. Patrick’s Drunk Dial is about sharing stories, a few laughs and keeping the bonds of friendship strong across the miles.
Contacts:
For more information on the St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial please contact Duleepa Wijayawardhana (dups@stpatsdrunkdial.com) or phone 1-888-734-1285 and leave a message. You can also get more information at http://stpatsdrunkdial.com
Well, it’s off to the land of Upper Canada where Screech apparently flows from taps and people dance on the streets while bathing in it.
However, I thought, how many times in my life am I going to have to drive across to another province to buy booze to send as a prize to someone in another country? So into my head popped yet another crazy idea: The Official Drunk Dial Screech Relay.
After all, the Olympic Torch is winding its way around the world, why can’t I do this with some Screech. So Dan, here’s the plan, this weekend or next weekend, I will be going on a weekend drive to bring you the Screech. I will devise a baton with a shot glass attached to it. I will buy two bottles of Screech, one will be used in the relay. From Ottawa the capital of Canada I will carry the Screech Relay to Quebec City, back to Montreal, then cross the border to Burlington, VT where I will send you the bottle of Rum all packaged nicely.
You’ll also hopefully get pictures of the Screech outside the Houses of Parliament, outside Old Quebec and somewhere in Montreal.
I’m hoping you won’t get pictures of me being arrested in any of those places!
Roll up, roll up for the magical tour, the magical Newfoundland Screech tour is dying to take you away…
By the way as added incentive for those on the fence… Craig did actually submit an entry this year!
Check out the interview and now, one final call for entrants for the 2008 Drunk Dial. Wherever you are, give us a call, tell us a story, sing us a song.
Okay so you have two nights left to get your entries in. So first a status update then a teaser Drunk Dial recording…
I will say that this first officially public St. Patrick’s Drunk Dial has been just AMAZING… we have many more entries and lots of people phoning in to just hear our voice greeting.
So Monday March 17th is the Feast Day of Saint Patrick. This is it folks. This is what Guinness has had you training for all year. Now put your wit and clumsy dialing fingers to the test and give us a call and tell us about it. Or, tell us a story, sing us a song…
Don’t call your spouse with a drink in your hand, call us: +1 317-644-6963
So you want to know what the entries are like? Well, I saw on some message board that people were wondering if we would give ourselves the prize. Well, categorically, the people who will be judging will not be allowed to judge any entry they appear or have a hand in.
So in that spirit and to encourage better drunk dials, here’s one from my St. Patrick’s Day Party. We had Rockband going and someone suggested I sing Faith No More’s Epic like my dad might do it.
So here is Dups and Mike Mannion’s entry for the 2008 St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial in the “not going to win a prize†category:
Yes folks, check it all out, the St. Patrick’s Drunk Dial is now officially open! So far we have New Jersey, Maine, and Portland checking in, but I hereby declare the full festivities open!
You have from now till midnight Pacific on the 18th March to get your entry in for it to be eligible for judging.
Okay, so I’ve heard that the CBC interview will air on Monday morning at around 8:20am Newfoundland Time on the Newfoundland Morning Show, as for other publicity, well I was quite surprised when I got a message from Joanna Stern with Laptop Magazine based out of New York.
Well, apparently they wanted to chat about the Drunk Dial, so check out the interview… I like the bit about Mothers Against Drunk Dialling… I can see Ann Martin joining up for sure brandishing a big broomstick and running after me to take me down with a severe ear pull for my brazen behaviour!
Montreal, QC, Canada – 16 February 2008 – Today marks the world-wide launch of the campaign for the St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial, now in its fourth year. The Drunk Dial asks all St. Patrick’s Day celebrants, between March 15th and 17th 2008, around the world to take a single phone number with them as they party and carouse. People from all over the world can call into the telephone number and leave a message. The funniest and “funnest†will be rewarded!
“After three years of fun, we’re going to do the 2008 Drunk Dial bigger and better than ever!†said organizer Dups of Montreal, Quebec.
This year the telephone number is +1 317 644 6963. Dups warns that there will be long distance charges to the United States but should otherwise be a regular phone call for participants. This year, the organizers intend to give away a portion of any advertising revenue from the web site (http://www.stpatsdrunkdial.com) as well as the customary bottle of Newfoundland Screech Rum.
Dups also noted the public service that the Drunk Dial tries to provide.
“For years I was one of those poor sots who called his friends late night on St. Pat’s Day after having had a few. One year I became a pariah and there were calls for a public castration for all my drunken dialing. Imagine the friendships and relationships that we are saving!â€
St. Patrick’s Day has become an international celebration of epic proportions no matter ethnicity, creed, color or the quality of the Guinness. Said Niall Brown, another organizer:
“I think people can identify with a man who got rid of an infestation of snakes. I mean if you woke up in the middle of the night and your country was infested with snakes, wouldn’t you want to celebrate the man who got rid of them. Heck, I’d have a couple drinks in his honor. I’d even call and tell someone about it, and that’s what the Drunk Dial is all about.â€
Whether it’s about snakes, drinking or just a phone call to tell us how St. Patrick’s Day is going for you: have fun and give us a call at +1 317 644 6963.
The St. Patrick’s Drunk Dial began in 2005 with all of Dups’ friends calling him from around the world on St. Patrick’s Day. Sadly he was too inebriated to remember who won that first year. In subsequent years the reach and popularity of the event has spread far and wide and now we want 2008 to be the biggest year ever! For more information e-mail info@stpatsdrunkdial.com or visit http://www.stpatsdrunkdial.com
And so we come to the end of another St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial. So who won this year? I can honestly say the winner is none other than the Queen of England broadcasting from Edmonton, Alberta. For her entry, she will receive a bottle of Newfoundland Screech that will be delivered by special mail to Buckingham Palace (and if you think I’m joking, never fear…).
This year we saw so many entrants from Montreal alone that I have decided that the best entry in Montreal shall receive a special mention. So without further ado here are your entrants in the 2007 St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial. Vote for who you think deserves the prize (outside of the Queen) and I shall personally hand out a second bottle of Screech if they show up to Montreal for 2008. Yes you heard that right, we’ll be repeating all this in 2008.
Niall Brown wins the “Honourable Mention” for the most entries ever flooded into the Drunk Dial system with his calls from Montreal! A big thank you to Mike Mannion for putting us all up. I can honestly submit that St. Patrick’s in Montreal 2007 was for so many incredible reasons, one of the best weekends of my life.
Dave Arenillas also sent me a question regarding why there are no postings of the first ever Drunk Dial. After all the 2006 winners are posted. You see, I instituted the Drunk Dial in 2005 and had everyone phone me. The winner would be decided by me who was receiving the calls. Unfortunately, there was a small snag in the plan. You see, I had decided to partake in the competition as well. Sadly two drunks don’t make a sober. Instead I vaguely remember falling down on icy streets and distinctly remember the conversation at 7am with Westjet:
“umm, I can’t believe I’m phoning like this but, I seem to not be at the airport right now and my plane is leaving in 10 mins… unfortunately the room is also still spinning.”
