Operation Red Nose will have 17 volunteer teams out on each Friday Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21 out on the road to provide safe rides home to Prince George party-goers on its fourth weekend of 2019.
“We are looking forward to another busy weekend, our final one before Christmas and New Year’s Eve,” says Andrea Johnson, Operation Red Nose spokesperson. “Our volunteers have been fantastic and have had a great time.”
In 2018 on the same weekend, 16 teams delivered 99 rides on Night 7 while 15 teams provided 117 rides on Night 8. The highest number of rides they have provided on Weekend 4 was in 2010 when 142 rides were provided on Night 7 and 177 rides on Night 8.
So far after six nights of service, Operation Red Nose has delivered 521 rides to party-goers in 2019. Last weekend, Dec. 13 and 14, was its busiest of the season so far when 66 volunteers delivered 135 rides on Dec. 14 and 58 volunteers provided 105 rides.
As for New Year’s Eve, more people have signed up to volunteer and there are now 18 teams available to help out on Dec. 31, says Johnson. However, at least 54 more volunteers are required, the equivalent of 18 road teams, to help out on New Year’s Eve to meet the demand for rides they expect.
Historically in the last 10 years they have provided between 150 to 200 rides alone on New Year’s Eve and right now we don’t have enough teams to ensure everyone gets home safely.
To entice a few more people to volunteer on New Year’s Eve, anyone who helps out will have their name entered into several draws and they could win tickets to the We Will Rock You show on Jan. 14 at CN Centre; Champions of Magic on Jan. 26 at CN Centre; and a Cirque du Soleil – AXEL show in June at CN Centre.
Those interested in helping out can apply online at www.ornpg.ca by Dec. 23. Volunteers who’d like to be part of a road team must be 19 years old and have a valid B.C. driver’s license. Road volunteers can be designated drivers (drive the client’s vehicle), navigators to work with the designated driver and escort drivers (transports the team from the client’s pickup location to the drop-off location.
Those who require a safe ride home can call 250-962-7433 between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. Clients must have a vehicle with valid B.C. license plates.
All donations go towards youth and amateur sport organizations in Prince George.
Operation Red Nose is organized by the Rotary Club of Prince George – Nechako in partnership with ICBC and the Prince George RCMP.