The only blind volunteer for Operation Red Nose in B.C. - and one of the few in all of Canada - lives in Prince George.
Megan Winia, 24, volunteered for four years for the Kettle Campaign for the Salvation Army when she decided to change gears and steer her efforts towards Operation Red Nose, where revellers could get a safe ride home for themselves and their vehicle by donation during the holiday season.
Winia, a dispatcher for the volunteer-based project, volunteered for the first time in 2014 when she answered the 10,000th call in Prince George's Operation Red Nose 17-year history. It was New Year's Eve.
"I was looking for something to do to give back to the community," said Winia, who lost her vision completely at age seven due to a cyst on her optic nerve.
"I had always heard about Operation Red Nose in the past and always thought to myself 'I should check into that' and of course, I didn't. So last year I made the call."
There was no doubt in Winia's mind that she could do the job. Winia has a specific skill set as she is secretary for her father's roofing business. She is quite comfortable on the phone, so she knew being a dispatcher for Operation Red Nose would be a good fit, she said. Operation Red Nose needs about 350 volunteers to make it work during the holiday season in Prince George
There are a minimum of 15 teams of three on call each night the service is available: Nov. 27 and 28, Dec. 4 and 5, Dec. 11 and 12, Dec. 18 and 19 and New Year's Eve. Each shift goes from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Last year Winia volunteered for three or four nights that the service was available.
"I just take the calls and collect the information," said Winia.
When Winia got the news she took the 10,000th call, it didn't phase her.
"I wasn't crazy stoked about it," said Winia. "I was just like 'oh, that's cool' and that was it."
Winia, with the team of three that drove the party-goers home, were given a ride in a helicopter as a treat.
"It was fun and it was mostly flight patterns that were of interest to me," said Winia. "The information that I enjoyed the most was when we got to hear everyone call in to the tower because the form of communication is not the same and what details the pilot gave when we were in different zones was interesting."
Winia will be volunteering for Operation Red Nose again this year.
"I enjoy it," said Winia. "It's a fun atmosphere and they feed you well. If there's not enough volunteers to run the program we can't do it. This program is amazing because it saves lives."
Last year there were 1,123 safe rides given over nine nights, which saw Prince George complete the second highest amount of rides out of 13 communities in B.C. that offered the service. For more information call volunteer co-ordinator Karen Toombs at 250-961-6465.
