The process for setting up Operation Red Nose, the Christmas-season ride home service to reduce drunk driving, is a long one.
The process starts in April, when the North Battleford Lions, who work as drivers, are contacted. The Lions are then audited, have the RCMP conduct criminal background checks on interested drivers and contact the radio and the newspaper for sponsorship.
By the fall, the North Battleford Lions are in fundraising mode, seeking sponsorship from the corporate world, whether through cash or in-kind donations. SGI, as the provincial sponsor of Operation Red Nose, provides the advertising for the program.
By winter, the program is in full swing. This year, there were a total of 33 people involved - 25 volunteers and eight Lions.
The service provided by Operation Red Nose is free, but those receiving rides often make donations. This year, there were a total of 345 rides offered, totaling 2,719 kilometres in distance. Through these rides, a total of $3,831 was donated to drivers. Corporate donations accounted for an additional $3,785 and once the project's expenses had been tallied, a total of $7,200 had been raised for the Battlefords Boys and Girls Club.
Since 2009, the program has given its donations to the Boys and Girls Club after expenses, and in the four years that it has been operating, 2012 was by far the best year. The donations received in 2012 alone were almost half of the four-year total of $16,900.
