The last person standing after a night of partying on New Years Eve may well be a sober and suitably red-clothed resident.
Operation Red Nose will deploy 34 volunteer teams on Dec. 31 to drive revellers safely from party to party or back to their home base.
Its the busiest night of the year for the seasonal safe ride set-up, but it also promises to be a milestone: by the wee hours of 2015, it will have delivered its 10,000 ride.
So far, over the course of four weekends and eight nights volunteers have completed 919 safe rides home, just 32 shy of the magic number. Thats after 17 years of trucking residents across the city.
And taking the night off from libation is not without its perks: the volunteers who deliver the big ride (likely in the first three hours of service) will receive a 20-minute ride in the sky with Aberdeen Helicopters.
Operation Red Nose expects to deliver at least 200 clients to their chosen doorstep on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The citys busiest night on record was 2010s New Years Eve, with 273. Last year, 208 callers gave up their keys. To compare, the next busiest night this season recorded 171 safe rides.
Given the popularity of the night, ORN is asking people to be patient and expect wait times, especially after midnight when the night winds down for many.
Residents can call 250-962-RIDE (7433) and the phone lines will be open for an extra hour - from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.
