This holiday season marked the busiest one since 2009 for Operation Red Nose, as the program provided 250 free rides to partygoers.
Red Nose co-chair Ted Hewitt says the program has seen a “trending increase” in rides over the past few years.
“It went very well,” said Hewitt. “We provided 250 rides this year…and that’s an extra 27 from last year. Over the last four or five years it’s been [increasing], so that’s a good sign.”
Red Nose provided 188 rides in 2011, 204 rides in 2012 and 223 rides in both 2013 and 2014.
“We’re always hoping that it increases…but you just don’t know until it happens,” said Hewitt.
Spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Flin Flon, Red Nose provides rides home to people in their own vehicles when they themselves are unfit to go behind the wheel.
And while Red Nose does not charge for the service, donations are accepted. This year, volunteers collected $4,100 in donations.
“The majority of people make a donation and this year’s donation was the highest ever,” said Hewitt. “And that money all goes towards children’s activities and organized sports.”
Through Red Nose, the Rotary Club of Flin Flon was able to donate $11,000 to various organizations in the community, including the Flin Flon Minor Hockey Association, through donations and corporate sponsorship from the 2014 campaign.
“We hope that our corporate donations will bring us up to that same [amount] again,” said Hewitt. “That’s what we raise money for, is [children’s activities] in the community.”
Red Nose saw an increase in rides and donations, but also an increase in volunteers this season.
Hewitt said this season 154 volunteers were involved, from the last weekend in November until the last weekend in December, making sure area residents and their vehicles made it home safely.
“I think it’s great,” said Hewitt. “To get people home with their vehicle, it keeps the roads safer. And we have so many volunteers because they think the same thing.”
Hewitt, who has been a part of Red Nose in one form or another for nearly a decade, says the evenings become social outings for volunteers as much as those using the service.
“The volunteers always enjoy themselves and they provide a service. It’s a good thing,” said Hewitt, noting that along with the community, the local RCMP detachments appreciate the service as well.
The majority of those using the Red Nose services this year were return customers, but Hewitt says there were also some new faces.
