THE BATTLEFORDS — The safe ride option, Operation Red Nose in the Battlefords, is now in its 16th season of serving Saskatchewan. The opportunity gives holiday partygoers another home to get home safely. Operation Red Nose has been serving Canadians since 1983.
The Battlefords Concern for Youth organization is now running the program and says they have already been receiving calls for bookings in their second year of serving in this safe ride program.
Linda Coe-Kirkham, CFY Executive Director says, “We operate each evening with a minimum of three teams each night who head out in teams of two. We also require a minimum of two dispatch volunteers who communicate with our drivers and navigators to let them know the next pickup location. We have a core group of four volunteers who volunteer throughout the entire campaign. We have a total of 22 volunteers who form this year’s ORN Crew.
“Operation Red Nose is a free service to keep the roads safe in the Battlefords through the holiday season; although we really rely on the donations we receive. “
For their inaugural year in 2023, Coe-Kirkham affirms, “We dispatched 146 teams in 2023 providing a safe ride home for over 350 people. We only operated on Fridays and Saturdays during December of 2023. As we’ve already had calls about holiday gatherings in 2024 on Thursday evenings, we’ve added two Thursdays; Dec. 12 and 19 in addition to the regular weekend hours. We will be available from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m. on each of the designated evenings. For New Year’s Eve, our hours will extend to 3 a.m.”
Battleford Concern for Youth is all about mentoring others and sharing awareness about making positive choices.
“Operation Red Nose is a really perfect fit for us. We have the opportunity to provide information about the programs we run with both volunteers and the patrons we drive home. We undertake some pretty unique programs and when we’re able to talk about the value of these for the youth we work with; well people seem to be generous with their donations when they know exactly how their dollars are used. “
The organization, CFY, Executive Director also acknowledges, “We are so lucky to have the support of the local car dealerships who donate vehicles for use by our teams each night. SGI looks after insurance for all of our volunteers and the RCMP provide free screening of our volunteers. We have some tremendous support from Battlefords area businesses who provide snacks and coffee for our volunteers as well as cash donations that assist with gas and program support.”
Coe-Kirkham shouts out at least 24 businesses/organizations that have contributed to their efforts and they also were beneficiaries of a generous individual donation from Leonard Parkinson.
Battlefords Concern for Youth took the reins from KidSport last year in looking after Operation Red Nose for the holiday season.
The safe ride opportunity includes a navigator and driver who pick up the client and someone drives them home in their own car with another vehicle following to pick up the driver. These pick-up cars are donated by local dealerships.
SGI is a provincial sponsor of Operation Red Nose.
“SGI is proud to partner with Operation Red Nose to help Saskatchewan drivers get home safe again this year,” said JP Cullen, chief operating officer at SGI.
“Finding a safe ride home is a team effort and the volunteers who keep this program going every year take that to the next level. Their hard work helps people enjoy the holidays and get home safe, and that’s a win for everyone.”
SGI wants to remind drivers across the province that we all have a part to play in preventing impaired driving. Operation Red Nose is one of these options for holiday partygoers.
