Image Credit: Operation Red Nose
October 26, 2016 - 9:58 AM
PacificSport Interior BC is excited to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Operation Red Nose in Kamloops. Over the past 19 years, Operation Red Nose in Kamloops has grown to be one of the most successful campaigns in BC.
Operation Red Nose will kick off on November 25 and run on November 26, December 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 26, 30, and 31, between 9:00 pm and 3:00 am. This year, the service will be offered on a few Thursdays, including December 1, 8, and 15. The service is by donation and is available to any person operating a motor vehicle who does not wish to drive their car for any reason. A person does not have to be drinking to use the service.
In 2015, Operation Red Nose provided 1,211 safe rides over 10 nights of service and raised $30,863 in donations. Kamloops finished first in the province by providing the most rides out of the 13 host communities. All donations raised go to PacificSport and supporting amateur athletes in Kamloops.
“The community of Kamloops has been amazing and has embraced Operation Red Nose since we brought it to the city in 1997,” says Carolynn Boomer, Executive Director, PacificSport, and co-founder for the Kamloops campaign. “From all of our partners, sponsors, and volunteers right to the end client, it has been a win-win from saving lives to contributing to amateur sport locally. With the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio just concluding, we have hometown heroes, such as Bronze Medalist Catharine Pendrel, as an inspiration to our youth and we are proud to be a small part in her journey”.
Operation Red Nose relies solely on volunteers who want to help and have a little fun during the holiday season. This year, Operation Red Nose hopes to recruit 250 volunteers for the campaign. Volunteer positions include designated drivers, escort drivers, navigators, phone operators, and dispatchers. Volunteers can team up with their friends, family, or coworkers to form a road team of three and help safely drive clients and their vehicles home. Volunteers can commit to one night or all 14 nights. Volunteer shifts are approximately six hours long. In 2015, Operation Red Nose had 235 volunteers fill over 500 volunteer positions.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Katie Klassen at 250-320-0650 or email at kklassen@pacificsport.com. Volunteer application forms are located at the RCMP office on Battle Street and the North Shore Community Policing Office. Please drop off completed forms at one of these two locations and present two pieces of photo ID.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016