SURREY 鈥� , the by-donation driving service that aims to rid Canadian streets of impaired drivers during the holiday season, won鈥檛 be operating in the Surrey/91原创 area this year.
鈥淭he previous organization is no longer able to deliver it, so there is an opening for a new non-profit to run it for next year,鈥� Chris Wilson, provincial spokesperson for Operation Red Nose, told the Now-Leader in an email.
As a fundraiser, the driving service is delivered by local non-profit organizations tasked with finding enough volunteers to do the driving.
In Surrey and 91原创, Operation Red Nose has been operated by for more than a decade.
Last year at this time, service organizers with the gymnastics club were desperate to find more volunteer drivers.
鈥淲e have and need 300 volunteers usually,鈥� Melissa Coombes, spokesperson for the local chapter, told the Now in November of 2016. 鈥淭hose volunteers will often sign up for more than one night. We essentially need 100 of them each night, but right now we鈥檙e not even close. Not even half that.鈥�
Coombes no longer works as gym manager at 91原创 Gymnastics, a receptionist for the organization said Tuesday.
Wilson runs the Operation Red Nose . There, donations for the driving service benefit the in Port Moody, Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be trying our best to service clients that need to either go from our area into Surrey and 91原创 or vice versa,鈥� Wilson noted.
鈥淲e realize this is not the ideal situation and are very hopeful that another organization will see this as an opportunity to take on a great community project that鈥檚 also a fundraiser for their organization for next year.鈥�
Details about becoming a host organization can be found online at .
The organization鈥檚 34th annual campaign was launched in Maple Ridge on Nov. 9, in partnership with ICBC.
鈥� READ MORE: , from Nov. 14.
More than 55,000 volunteers are getting ready to take part in what鈥檚 called 鈥淐anada鈥檚 largest safe-ride-home service,鈥� according to a media advisory.
On nine nights from Nov. 24 to Dec. 31, Operation Red Nose will be available in 101 Canadian communities, 11 of which are located in British Columbia. Communities covered include Abbotsford/Mission, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Delta/Richmond, Kamloops, New Westminster, North Vancouver/West Vancouver, Prince George, Ridge Meadows, Tri-Cities and Williams Lake.
鈥� READ MORE: , from November 2016.
Since it came to B.C. in 1996, 鈥渢he program has grown from two host groups to 11, serving 19 communities and providing over 94,100 safe rides home,鈥� according to .
鈥淚n 2016, 3,747 dedicated volunteers across 12 B.C. communities gave 5,448 rides to get people and their vehicles home safely while raising $150,674 for their local charities,鈥� says the post.
鈥� READ MORE: , from January 2017.
The program is named in honour of Rudolph, 鈥渢he most famous reindeer of all.鈥�
鈥淥n most Friday and Saturday nights during the holiday season, if you鈥檝e been drinking or are too tired to drive home, call 1-877-604-NOSE or on the mobile app and a team of three Operation Red Nose volunteers will help you get home safely,鈥� says the post on ICBC鈥檚 website.
鈥淥ne volunteer will drive your vehicle, a second volunteer will navigate, and a third volunteer will follow in an escort vehicle to pick up the two volunteers once they drop you off. Donations to Operation Red Nose are gratefully accepted and help fund local youth sports and other not-for-profit organizations.鈥�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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