Operation Red Nose has parked for the season and the numbers for this year are in.
Over the holidays, 116 volunteers with the service provided 216 rides within Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach.
The city generated the fourth-smallest dollar amount out of the 11 Manitoba communities, raising $3,944.15. While fewer people sought out Red Nose in Flin Flon than in other regions, those who did tipped generously - an average of $18.36 per ride.
Compared to elsewhere in the north, fewer people used the service or volunteered in Flin Flon than in The Pas or Thompson. In Thompson, northern Manitoba’s largest city, the program saw 355 rides and 195 volunteers, while The Pas saw 330 rides and 133 volunteers.
Both Thompson and The Pas raised more money through Red Nose, with Thompson raising $8,197.55 and The Pas raising $5,277.65, while users in Thompson were more generous, giving an average of just over $23 a ride compared to $16 in The Pas.
Throughout Manitoba, Red Nose volunteers drove 4,443 times over the holiday season, with 2,370 people taking part. More than $95,000 was raised provincewide. The funds raised will stay in each community, with the money earmarked for youth organizations and minor sports.
“Year after year, Operation Red Nose demonstrates its value to our communities,” said Judy Murphy, president and CEO of Safety Service Manitoba, the group that oversees Red Nose in Manitoba in a press release.
“The service, through generous donations from our riders and sponsors, helps support youth sports in our province while also putting the spotlight on the issue of impaired driving.”
