A proposed activity fee isn't on the ballot yet, but one organization is already eyeing the money.

Cats RIDDE, a program that would offer free rides home to intoxicated students and their friends, has been struggling to acquire the funds it needs to pay for insurance and rental cars.

Jason Cobb, the president and co-founder of Cats RIDDE, said he hopes students vote for the $15 to $20 activity fee, which will be on a special ballot in April, because some of the money might fund his program.

If a $15 per semester fee were passed, it would generate more than $1 million.

"The national support for this program is awesome," said Cobb, a molecular and cellular biology senior. "We just really need the community to rally behind us."

Cats RIDDE, which stands for Cats Realizing the Importance of a Designated Driving Escort, would operate from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It is based on similar programs around the nation, such as Texas A&M's CARPOOL, Western Michigan University's DriveSafe and the University of Georgia's WatchDawgs.

"It's all about keeping the community safe," Cobb said. "You should never have to make the choice of whether to drive drunk or not."

Along with paying for four rental cars that would be used three nights per week, Cobb said Cats RIDDE needs funding for insurance, advertising and other costs. The estimated budget will be about $51,000 per year.

Jeremy Sasser, vice president of Cats RIDDE and a pre-physiological sciences junior, said getting funding for insurance remains a concern because the program is thought to be "high risk."

Based on the program at Texas A&M, medical and liability insurance will cost Cats RIDDE up to $5,000 per year, Sasser said.

Greg Billings, president of the University Activities Board and a member of the Collaboration Board, which is putting the activity fee on the ballot, said although most of the money generated by the activity fee would go to on-campus events, some money may be designated to programs that benefit the campus at large, such as Cats RIDDE.

"It depends on the finalized structure of the fee, but I definitely see potential," he said.

Jani Radebaugh, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Council and a member of the Collaboration Board, said the activity fee could only fund a program like Cats RIDDE if a sizable portion of the student population would use it.

"We are trying to figure out where this money is going to head," she said. "It needs to benefit as many students as possible."

Even if the activity fee does not come through, Associated Students of the University of Arizona officials have said they are interested in supporting Cats RIDDE financially.

Sara Birnbaum, an ASUA senator and next year's executive vice president, said future ASUA officials are showing an interest in Cats RIDDE.

"ASUA needs to have more visible programming," she said.

Although Birnbaum supports funding Cats RIDDE with money generated by the activity fee, she does not want the program to depend entirely on that money because the future of the fee is uncertain.

The success of Cats RIDDE should not be hindered by an outside factor, Birnbaum said.

Prashant Raj, an ASUA senator-elect, might have the chance to vote on whether the program will receive ASUA funding next year. He said he would support funding Cats RIDDE.

"A lot of people hesitate to be designated drivers," he said. "We need to make sure UA students have a safe ride home."

Cobb said he believes it is beneficial to have the support of ASUA because it is "a core piece of the university."

A program can only be effective if everyone collaborates, he said.

Some students on campus said they would support using the activity fee to fund a program like Cats RIDDE.

"It's good because everyone drinks," said Nicole Harrison, a pre-business freshman.

Last year, ASUA tried to support a program similar to Cats RIDDE that was run by Student Lifeline Inc., a New York-based company that used cabs instead of rental cars to drive students home. But ASUA eventually dropped its partnership after the program was plagued with problems ranging from unreliable service to students who couldn't get rides.

J.P. Benedict, ASUA president, said he supports Cats RIDDE because it has made efforts to avoid the problems that the company caused.

"Conceptually, it's a good idea," he said. "It just didn't work out."

Cobb also said Anheuser-Busch beer distributors and Golden Eagle Distributors Inc. are supporting Cats RIDDE. They have offered to underwrite some of the cost of advertising.

Meanwhile, Cobb and the other members of Cats RIDDE are trying to find additional sponsors. They are also looking into obtaining nonprofit status from the Internal Revenue Service.

To learn more about Cats RIDDE, visit catsride.com.