Party hard, get a ride

Photo: CTV

City of Kamloops officials are looking for some teetotalers. 

The holiday season is fast approaching, which means it’s time for Operation Red Nose.

Operation Red Nose relies 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. Volunteer positions include designated drivers, escort drivers, navigators, phone operators, and dispatchers. Volunteers can team up with their friends, family, or co-workers to form a road team of three to safely drive home clients and their vehicles. Volunteers can commit to one night or all 18 nights.

Shifts are approximately six hours long. In 2016, Operation Red Nose had 220 volunteers fill 618 volunteer positions.

The service is by donation and is available to any person operating a motor vehicle who does not wish to drive their vehicle for any reason. A person does not have to be intoxicated to use the service.

In 2016, Operation Red Nose was able to provide 1,241 safe rides over 15 nights, and the service raised almost $33,000 in donations. Kamloops finished first in BC by providing the most rides out of the 12 host communities.

All money raised goes to PacificSport in support of amateur athletes and youth programs in Kamloops.

The volunteer application procedure has changed from previous years. Volunteers must complete the Operation Red Nose volunteer application form and have a police information check completed by the RCMP.

Volunteers must drop off the police information check and the Operation Red Nose letter to the RCMP Detachment or the North Shore Community Policing Office and then pick up the results once they are complete. The volunteer application forms are available at the Tournament Capital Centre, ICBC Claim Centre, Volunteer Kamloops, Desert Gardens Community Centre, and online.