It's hard to think of Christmas before Remembrance Day but for the organizers of the 11th annual Operation Red Nose campaign for Delta-Richmond, this is the time to get things in place, especially the call out to volunteers that are critical to the success of the safe driving campaign.
Last year thanks to the help of over 350 volunteers, Operation Red Nose Delta-Richmond gave 644 rides to about 2,000 individuals in the course of nine nights, said Carlene Lewall, coordinator of the local campaign.
"One statistic that is not specified is the number of lives that were probably saved by keeping our roads safe during the busy holiday season," said Lewall.
With B.C.'s tough drinking and driving laws in effect, the Operation Red Nose campaign is an excellent safe driving option. Since 2002, Delta Gymnastics Society has been the local host of the award-winning national program that strives to provide road safety while at the same time supporting amateur youth sport in the community.
The difference between this service and a regular taxi is that both the driver and their vehicle are taken to their homes.
"The reason we have started our recruiting campaign so soon is that all our volunteers need to have a criminal record check done ahead of time and there is a process involved with this," explained Lewall. "We have co-ordinated with the police departments in Delta, Richmond and Surrey so our volunteers do not have to pay to get these done, but they need a letter from us which is posted on our website at operationrednosedelta.com."
The campaign will be kicked off on Thursday Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. at Delta Gymnastics, located in the Delta Sport Development Centre building in Ladner. Interested volunteers are invited to come and learn more about the campaign and meet the organizers.
Anyone over the age of 19 is encouraged to help keep the roads and families safe by supporting the program. There are many positions that need to be filled, including dispatch office, greeters, drivers and navigators.
All volunteers receive an orientation prior to their shift.
This year Operation Red Nose, in partnership with ICBC, Richmond RCMP, Delta Police Department and many local sponsors, will service the communities of Delta and Richmond on Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22 and 31 (New Year's Eve) between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. All sponsorship and donations received to the campaign will be directed to the purchase of needed equipment for the Delta Sports Development Centre, home of Delta Gymnastics.
To get involved call Delta Gymnastics at 604943-0460 or email orn@ operationrednosedelta.com. Volunteer applications and information are also available at www.operationrednosedelta.com.
