Editor:
As we wrap up our 10th annual Operation Red Nose campaign serving the communities of Delta and Richmond, we would like to share some of the statistics collected in this decade of service.
We are extremely grateful for the dedication, care and enthusiasm that we have seen over the years from over 2,600 volunteers - Delta Gymnastics families and the community at large - that have driven, escorted, navigated or dispatched for Operation Red Nose.
Our words of gratitude are not enough to let them know how much we appreciate the time given to keep our roads safe during the holiday season. Together they have driven over 130,000 kilometres, which equates to about three times the circumference of the Earth.
During this period, we have received a little over $100,000 in tips from the thankful and appreciative callers. Their donations, together with our sponsors' contributions to the program, have been used to help build the new Delta Sport Development Centre, the fantastic 15,000square-foot home of Delta Gymnastics.
This fall our enrollment increased by 50 per cent as we are now able to provide a lot more opportunities for the kids and youth in our community to stay active and healthy.
We have been extremely lucky to have many provincial and local sponsors that truly believe in the benefits of this community program. They support us with financial and in-kind donations, they help us promote the program to their customers and employees, and many of them have used the service for their corporate Christmas parties.
However, there aren't any statistics for the number of lives we might have saved by offering this service, and we like it that way. We are rewarded every time we see a thankful customer driven to his or her home with their car and knowing they and their families will wake up in the morning safely at home.
Carlene Lewall Chair Operation Red Nose Delta-Richmond
