Volunteer drivers needed, training session Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Gimli Lakeview
Gimli’s Operation Red Nose (ORN) organizers are getting their engines warmed up for holiday driving safety, and they’re inviting volunteers to their launch and training session on Nov. 19 in Gimli.
“We’re hoping to have some speakers from the province and the municipality, and after that we’ll have a training session for volunteers,” said Dwayne Binns, who is co-coordinating this year’s ORN with Dave LeBlanc on behalf of the Gimli Rotary Club.
This is the third year the Gimli Rotary Club has run Operation Red Nose in the area, taking over from the local car club which ran it for over a decade. It was very “successful” last year with dozens of callers using the service on some nights.
Rotary works in partnership with the provincial government through Safety Services Manitoba and Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), along with Operation Red Nose, a non-profit organization that has been providing volunteer designated-driving services for 30 years to prevent impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel.
Driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs can lead to death. Fifteen people died last year in impaired driving collisions in Manitoba and another 118 people were injured, some sustaining life-altering injuries, according to MPI. In the previous five years, 91 people died and over 350 were injured.
By the time mid-December 2024 rolled around, 2,164 Manitobans had committed an impaired-driving offence. In addition to death, other consequences of driving under the influence include having one’s vehicle impounded, having one’s driver license suspended, incurring hefty fines and facing criminal charges.
People who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or even those who cannot drive safely due to fatigue or illness, can call the Gimli Operation Red Nose line (or use an app) to book a driving team, which will pick them up and drive them and their vehicle to their doorstep.
The service is free but clients can make a donation if they like. The proceeds will go to community organizations supporting youth programs.
Binns said ORN volunteers work in teams of three on every ride. Two volunteers will ride in the client’s car; one drives and the other navigates. The third volunteer follows behind in a separate vehicle to pick up the other two volunteers after the drop-off is completed.
“We’ve got support cars or trucks donated by Ford, GM and Shoreside,” said Binns, referring to Gimli’s three auto dealerships.
Because teams require three people, there’s a need for more driving volunteers. Binns said they have some dates covered but need more people to get behind the wheel.
“We have dispatchers already set up so that’s not a problem. We need drivers. Either teams of three [friends] can volunteer or individuals that we can put on a team,” said Binns.
The Gimli Operation Red Nose will cover the municipality, but the service could go out of municipal bounds.
“Most of our pick-ups will be in the RM of Gimli, but we will go a little farther, if need be, depending on the situation,” said Binns. “We could go to Matlock or Fraserwood. We don’t want to have our cars too far away because they’d be gone for an hour and we might not have enough volunteers to cover the RM of Gimli.”
Binns said the rewards of offering the service include the satisfaction of getting people who’ve had too much to drink home safely, along with their vehicle, and the donations they get which go towards youth.
“The donations we get from clients, a majority go to the youth clubs in the area. That is a [national] mandate of Operation Red Nose,” said Binns.
The safe ride service will be available between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. on Nov. 29 and on Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 27 and 31. To book a safe ride home, call +1-204-642-9000.
For more information about volunteering for Gimli’s Operation Red Nose, contact Dwayne Binns at +1-204-299-7793 or email: dbinns1960@gmail.com or call Dave LeBlanc at +1-204-641-4049.
The Gimli ORN launch and training session will be held Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Gimli Lakeview Resort.
