More than 1,500 people who over-indulged during the holiday season got home safely thanks to the efforts of Operation Red Nose.
And this year the volunteer organization, which drives inebriated party-goers and their vehicles home in order to make the roads safer, proved to be more popular than ever.
"It was a record year in all respects," said Chris Wilson, Operation Red Nose organizer for the Tri-Cities. "One of the really nice stats is that we surpassed our goal for number of volunteers for every night except one. As well, our average donation was up $4 per ride."
The increase in average donations is attributed to the volunteers, Wilson said, who made sure to provide the clients with a good experience.
This year, more than $17,000 was collected from 556 rides, up from the $10,000 the organization received for 382 rides in 2010 and more than three times the total from 2009.
The number of kilometres travelled also increased from 9,773 in 2010 to close to 15,000 in 2011.
Since the program was launched in the Tri-Cities in 2007 Operation Red Nose has collected more than $40,000 and driven 1,490 vehicles 37,910 km.
All of the money raised is given to KidSport, which is run by Wilson and helps equip less fortunate children with athletic gear, so they can participate in sports.
The number of volunteers who have participated in the program has also grown, from 62 in its first year to 139 this year.
Operation Red Nose was first launched in 1984 in Quebec but has since spread across the country. Today more than 50,000 volunteers participate in the program, making sure thousands of holiday revelers get home safe during the Christmas season.
The service covers Anmore, Belcarra, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody on weekends leading up to Christmas and New Year's Eve.
gmckenna@tricitynews.com
Operation Red Nose numbers
2011
Rides: 556
Money Raised: $17,162
Average Per Ride: $30.87
Kilometres: 14,987
Volunteers: 139
2010
Rides: 382
Money Raised: $10,181
Average Per Ride: $26.65
Kilometres: 9,773
Volunteers: 98
2009
Rides: 237
Money Raised: $5,713
Average Per Ride: $24.11
Kilometres: 6,936
Volunteers: 77
2008
Rides: 208
Money Raised: $5,506
Average Per Ride: $26.47
Kilometres: 4,135
Volunteers: 88
2007
Rides: 107
Money Raised: $2,334
Average Per Ride: $21.81
Kilometres: 2,079
Volunteers: 62
