Successful season for Operation Red Nose

By Erin Stewart

BELLEVILLE – Operation Red Nose was a success this year after completing 1,302 rides for people during the holidays.

At the same time, Belleville police say there were no accidents involving impaired drivers in the area.

Rick Watt is the chairman of Operation Red Nose and says he’s pleased with this season’s operation.

“It went great. We had lots of rides and got everyone home safely,” he said.

302 volunteers drove people home from holiday parties and gatherings starting on Nov. 28 through to New Year’s day. Volunteers drove a total of 39, 548 km – that’s almost the distance of a trip around the world.

Operation Red Nose rides are free, but it asks riders to donate to charity. The YMCA Strong Kids Campaign gets most of the money. A quarter of the proceeds go to the Rotary Club of Quinte Sunrise. Last year, it raised more than $40,000 for the two organizations.

Watt says they will honour volunteers and sponsors at a special dinner on Feb. 20. They will also make the official donations to the charities that night.

The Belleville Police Service says it’s thankful Operation Red Nose helps keep the roads safe in the Quinte area during the season.

Police say they charged five people with impaired driving over the holidays, while the licences of seven others were suspended after a roadside test showed they were close to the illegal blood alcohol limit.