Operation Red Nose in 'desperate' need of volunteers as holiday season ramps up in Lethbridge

Operation Red Nose, which benefits the University of Lethbridge’s Pronghorn Athletics, sees a majority of volunteers made up of student-athletes along with community members.

LETHBRIDGE -

It's been a way to get you and your car home safe during the holidays for almost 30 years and after a two-year hiatus, Operation Red Nose is back in service in Lethbridge.

"Our first weekend was very successful, we saw around 100 rides in just two nights, so it's really nice to see people using the service again after we've been out for so many years," said Kayla Wurzer-Fix, organizer of Operation Red Nose.

The fundraiser, which benefits the University of Lethbridge’s Pronghorn Athletics, sees a majority of volunteers made up of student-athletes along with community members.

Each volunteer team is made up of three – including a designated driver, escort driver and navigator. However, the designated driver position requires a volunteer be 21-years-old, which Wurzer-Fix says most student-athletes are not.

She says because of that, demand for community volunteers has gone up.

"The first few weekends are usually filled up with student-athletes, the last three evenings so far, which is Dec. 22, 23 and 31, have been a little more challenging, so we're actually quite desperate for volunteers," Wurzer-Fix said.

Knud Petersen has been volunteering with Operation Red Nose since its inception in 1994. He says he’s proud to see its growth over the years, all benefitting the Pronghorns.

"The students, they make this thing happen and I think most people, most students have a lot of fun working it," Petersen said.

However, with the holidays approaching, that is also posing another challenge for those involved.

"Once the students go home, it becomes more of a community effort because a lot of students go home for the holidays since they're not from here, so we're struggling a little more with volunteers," Petersen said.

With five more nights to go this year, organizers are asking for community support, not just using the service but also volunteering their time.

"Our goal would be around 70-75 volunteers a night,” Wurzer-Fix said. “Dec. 31 is our busiest night, of course, so if we could get close to 100 volunteers that night it would be ideal."

Operation Red Nose runs Dec. 16, 17, 22, 23 and 31.

"The reality is, it keeps a lot of people safe on the road when they have that out," Petersen said.

Anyone interested in volunteering can visit gohorns.ca/documents/2022/11/14/221027-ORN-VolunteerForm-interactive.pdf online.