The funds raised from Operation Red Nose during the last holiday season by the Prince Albert Lions Club have been donated to a group of elementary schools in Prince Albert and area.
There are about 22 schools in Prince Albert and area. Eleven schools will benefit this year while the remaining 11 will benefit from next year’s program.
The funds are to be used for youth oriented projects like playgrounds, school trips, etc. The schools that benefited this year are Arthur Peachy, Ecole Valois, Ecole Vickers, Holy Cross, John Diefenbaker, Red Wing, Riverside, St. Catherines, Vincent Massey, West Central and WJ Berezowsky.
“Several years ago the Lions Club decided that the elementary schools in the city do the most for the youths, so we made a decision at that point to make the donations directly to the elementary schools,” said Randy Braaten a member of Prince Albert Lions Club and the Coordinator of Operation Red Nose. “It feels really good. The schools are really appreciative of the funds that they get to assist some with their operations and people are really appreciative of the volunteers that drive people home.”
Operation Red Nose is a safe drive service that operated throughout the Christmas season. Volunteers drove clients from any location to their homes in their cars with escorts. The escort vehicle will convey the driver back to the headquarters of the club to await the next drive.
“We thought of ways we can keep the city safer over the christmas holiday and that was the same thought the originator (of Operation Red Nose) in Quebec had,” Brazen said. “So many impaired drivers are being picked up during the Christmas holidays. There has to be a way we can keep some of these impaired drivers off the streets and make the streets safer for people.”
Three Lions and 17 community volunteers put in over 600 hours during the season keeping the city streets safer. The volunteers drove over 2,500 km. taking people home. Residents who used the service donated $5,200 after getting home safely.
This program has been going on for 13 years in Prince Albert and 43 in Canada. It is a national event that started in Quebec.
“If the people are partying or out for the night and they don’t feel safe driving their own vehicle home, they can call Operation Red nose and we will send a team of three people to drive them home in their vehicle,” Braaten said. “They don’t have to drive their vehicle if they don’t feel safe to drive.”
During the event last year, 166 rides were provided over the 10 nights of operation in the holiday season. Volunteers delivered a total of 341 people safely home in their own vehicles.
Donations were also made by Diamond North Credit Union, Cornerstone Insurance, Econo Lumber, and Carlton Honda to assist with operating costs and for the program.
The Coronet Hotel provided a comfortable headquarters for the Club while Anderson Motors, Lakeland, Ford and Lakeland Hyundai provided their shuttles to use as escort vehicles.
Food was provided by Boston Pizza, Domino’s Pizza, Red Swan Pizza, TJ’s Pizza, and Old Dutch. Tim Horton’s kept the volunteers well caffeinated along with doughnuts.
Unitech Business Solutions provided printing services for posters. The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, the Prince Albert Daily Herald, and the Prince Albert Shopper helped promote the program.
The Coordinator appreciated all those who assisted in one way or the other to make this event possible.
