It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Operation Red Nose officially kicks off this weekend, and organizers are reminding people to plan for a safe ride home this holiday season.
“We … allow people to have a really good time at Christmas so they can relax and not worry about driving and let us take care of it. We add to the Christmas cheer,” said Chris Wilson of KidSport and organizer of Operation Red Nose in Burnaby, New Westminster and the Tri-Cities.
On Dec. 13, officers and volunteers from the New Westminster Police Department will be out on the roads picking up people for Operation Red Nose, and on Dec. 14 Burnaby RCMP will take over. Having organizations like police departments is one way of getting the community involved, Wilson said.
“There’s lots of opportunities for organizations and companies or different groups to participate,” he added.
Often volunteer drivers and navigators are regular folks from the community simply looking to lend a hand during the holiday season.
While the New Westminster and Burnaby operation is still looking for volunteers, Wilson said they often get a variety of applicants, from students to senior citizens.
“They’re from all walks of life really,” he added.
Volunteers are organized into groups of three and sent out to pick people up when volunteers back at the base alert get a call. Volunteer drivers are required to use their own vehicle and must complete a police background check (the fee is waived by police departments when applying for Operation Red Nose).
Operation Red Nose has been providing people safe rides home in British Columbia for nearly two decades, and on Nov. 29 the 2013 campaign gets underway for the second year in New Westminster and Burnaby. Last year the local operation, which includes Coquitlam, gave 864 safe rides to residents.
“Not all those people were super intoxicated, but I really, honestly believe, in those 864 rides we gave, we prevented collisions, (and) we might have saved a few lives,” Wilson said.
Had too much to drink? Feeling sleepy? People living in New Westminster can call 778-866-6673 or 1-877-604-NOSE for rides between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. and three Operation Red Nose volunteers will come pick you up. Two volunteers, a navigator and a driver, will drive you home in your own vehicle as a third follows in an escort vehicle to pick the volunteers up.
While all the rides are free thanks to volunteer drivers, Operation Red Nose collects donations, which are donated to local non-profit youth organizations such as KidSport New Westminster.
Interested in becoming a volunteer driver? Pick up an application form at the New Westminster police station at 555 Columbia St. or visit operationnezrouge.com/en/region/new-westminster for more.
