Operation Red Nose has recorded its second-best season in its 15-year history in Prince George.
The designated driving service available during the holiday season provided 1,084 safe rides home during nine nights of service in late-November and December.
That tally includes the 221 safe rides home during New Year's Eve, its busiest night of the 2012 campaign.
"We are absolutely ecstatic with how this year's campaign unfolded," said Andrea Johnson, Operation Red Nose spokesperson. "We had wonderful and amazing volunteers who worked so tirelessly, some even all nine nights. And we are happy so many people took advantage of choosing a safe ride home."
On New Year's Eve, 31 volunteer road teams worked from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. crisscrossing Prince George keeping city and area roads safe.
Unfortunately the 31 teams weren't enough to handle the demand for rides.
"We were backed up about 50-60 rides from midnight to 4 a.m. with the wait time between 60 to 90 minutes," said Johnson. "There were about 30 cancellations on rides.
"We apologize to everyone who waited a long time or who wound up cancelling their ride with us. We appreciate those who did wait for us and get them home safely. Clients who cancelled and whom we managed to contact assured us they got a safe ride home which made us feel better."
The number of rides in 2012 is second only to the 1,123 record total set in 2010.
In 2011, 1,035 safe rides were provided. In 2011, 32 teams provided 236 safe rides home on New Year's Eve, while on the same night in 2010, 273 safe rides home were provided.
Operation Red Nose is a free, designated driving service organized by the Rotary Club of Prince George Nechako in partnership with the RCMP and ICBC. Any donations collected go directly to Prince George youth and amateur sport organizations.
