Prince George, B.C. Another  successful weekend for Operation Red Nose.

 

The free service provided more safe rides home Saturday night alone than the number of rides for the whole opening weekend this year.

 

There were 22 volunteer teams on the road   and they provided 137 rides to Prince George party-goers and travelled 3,454 km Saturday.  Friday night saw 18 teams provide 85 rides home, travelling 2,284 km. That’s a two-day total of 222 rides.

 

“Saturday’s total is a new record for the fourth night of service for us,” said Andrea Johnson, Operation Red Nose Prince George. “Once again, our volunteers really stepped up and made sure everyone got home safely. They were busy, non-stop basically from 11:45 p.m. to 3 a.m. They were fabulous.”

 

To compare, in 2011 on the third night and fourth nights there were 54 and 90 safe rides given respectively, while in 2010, there were 60 and 106 rides provided respectively.

 

The next weekend of service is Dec. 13 and 14 and organizers expect to have between 20 – 25 teams on hand to deal with the increased demand. Those who require a safe ride home can call 250-962-RIDE.

 

About 260 volunteers have registered to help Operation Red Nose out this year. Organizers would like about 300 volunteers this year and to deal with huge demand on New Year’s Eve. They can go to www.ornpg.ca to apply.

 

“Anyone who is considering helping us out New Year’s Eve must submit their application forms as soon as possible to the Community Policing office before Dec. 21,” said Johnson.