Prince George, B.C. – Once again, Operation Red Nose Prince George has issued a call for volunteers to help get people home safely during the holiday party season.

 

This year, Operation Red Nose will be operating on 9 evenings,  Nov. 29, 30, Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21 and Dec. 31. In order to provide the free service that has volunteers drive partiers home they need about 350 volunteers.

 

To date, about 63 people have signed up to be part of this free, designated driver program. Volunteers drive party-goers home safely along with their vehicle too. The service is available to anyone who got into the holiday “spirits” and does not feel fit to drive.

Signing up is not a last minute thing. It takes time to process the applications “We’re asking volunteers to apply as soon as possible to allow time for processing their applications and ensure they can work the nights they want,” said Operation Red Nose spokesperson Andrea Johnson.

 

 You don’t have to be a designated driver, you can volunteer to work at the Operation Red Nose headquarters, drive an escort vehicle ( to take the designated driver back to base) or be a navigator. The service needs to have 15 teams of three ready to answer the call from 9 p.m to 3 a.m. on the nights the service is operating.

 

In order to volunteer, you must be at least 19 years old, have a valid driver’s license, and complete a Criminal Record Check. The Criminal Record Check forms are available on line at www.ornpg.ca.

 

Last year,  273 volunteers provided 1,084 safe rides home over nine nights. It was the second best season in the history of Operation Red Nose in Prince George. The busiest year was in 2010, when 1,123 safe rides were provided.