Prince George, B.C. – Operation Red Nose has wrapped up it’s 2011 season with fewer rides provided, but still very pleased with the overall results.

 

“We are ecstatic” says coordinator Andrea Johnson.

 

On Friday night, the  22 teams provided 59 safe rides home. Nearly half the teams were sent home before midnight because the demand was low but by 1 in the morning, the phone starting ringing, and the remaining 12 teams were kept busy until 3 in the morning, covering some 1,532 kilometres. This was the first time Operation Red Nose has worked on a Friday night before  New Year’s Eve.

 

Then on New Year’s Eve, 32 teams were busy providing 236 rides home, covering 5,311 kilometres . That’s down from last year’s rides (273) and while it was quiet from 9 p.m. to midnight, once the clock struck 12, the phones started ringing “We worked steady right until shortly after 4 a.m.” says Johnson.

The 2011 total rides provided was 1,035, covering 25,190 kilometres. That’s the same as driving from Prince George to Halifax and back two and a half times.

 

Last year, Operation Red Nose provided 1,123 rides.