Operation Red Nose growing in demand
Posted December 26, 2012 6:16 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
More of you are choosing someone else to be your designated driver.
The Operation Red Nose campaign is seeing growth in use this year says co-coordinator Chris Wilson with the non-profit organization. “Overall the demand has been great. It’s been about ten per cent ahead of last year. I believe, province wide, we’ve done 6,300 rides across the province this year, and it’s been a very good campaign,” says Wilson.
He says roughly five thousand of those calls are from people in the Lower Mainland, especially the Fraser Valley.
The number of volunteers has also grown significantly. “In the Burnaby, New West, Tri-Cities area, last year we had 139 volunteers. This year we’ve had over 220 volunteers who’ve given up their Friday and Saturday nights to try to make the roads safe, get people home safely, and raise a little money for charity,” he explains.
He says many people are getting the message about the dangers of drinking and driving. “They’re making the smart choice. I think in each area where the Operation Red Nose services are provided by non-profit organizations, I think they’re all just getting better at promoting the program and delivering the service,” adds Wilson.
He does have a reminder for people — the campaign is coming to a close very soon. “Our busiest night of the campaign is always New Year’s Eve, so this Monday will be our last night and our busiest night. If you need a ride home, call 1-877-604-6673 (NOSE) at least an hour to an hour and a half before you’re ready to be home. And please be patient!” advises Wilson.
