The Holiday season is upon us, and you have many important decisions to make. One of the most important decisions is whether to call Operation Red Nose or see flashing red lights of police and/or first responder vehicles.
The Gimli Rotary Club is gearing up for its second season of managing the local Operation Red Nose program, which offers people safe rides home in their own vehicles after enjoying an evening of good cheer. Just call 204-642-9000 and a dispatcher will have a three-person team out to your location.
When you call for a ride, you and a partner or two jump into the back seat of your vehicle. The navigator fills out a form with your pick-up point and destination, and the driver gets you home safely along with your vehicle. Another driver following in one of three vehicles donated by Gimli’s auto dealerships then picks up the team and it’s off to another call.
To explain this in more detail and answer any questions you may have, the Gimli Rotary Club is holding an Operation Red Nose launch event at the Lakeview Gimli Resort on Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. Whether you want to form a volunteer team or learn more about how to use the program, OperationRed Nose would love to see you there. You can also call Dwayne Binns at 204-299-7793 or Dave LeBlanc at 204-641-4049 if you have any questions or want to volunteer.
Audrey Letain and Pamela Isfeld are two women who volunteered last year on separate teams. They both plan to be back this year.
“It’s a good feeling knowing you are providing a safe ride home to people who are like your own family. You are getting them home to their loved ones. Everyone is jovial and appreciative. It makes you feel real good,” said Letain, who is putting together a team with family and friends.
Isfeld has volunteered for Operation Red Nose 8-9 times with various organizations over the years. This year she is part of team from Interlake Real Estate.
“I am very community-oriented,” said Isfeld. “This is a wonderful program. Everyone is happy; they’re at Christmas parties, but nowadays, you can’t even have two drinks, and you are over the limit. This way, you can have some fun, we get you home safely and you can just get back to your life the next day.”
Binns and LeBlanc coordinated the program in 2023, and they are both back again this year. They have secured a room donated by the Gimli Lakeview Resort to serve as headquarters, plus three vehicles donated by Chudds Chrysler, Gimli Auto Ford and Shoreside GM. Prairie Communications has donated several sets of two-way radios to help coordinate the teams on the road.
“Last year, I learned there is a definite need for this program. There are too many accidents around the holiday season,” said Binns, who lost a friend to a drunk driver. “If you are drinking and you get behind the wheel, you are making a bad decision.”
Binns and LeBlanc are busy contacting potential sponsors who can provide cash, food, and gifts. Each night of the program, a different restaurant sends over food, and volunteers draw for gift packages.
All proceeds go to local youth organizations, such as youth skating, curling, bowling, and hockey. Red Nose also gave The Wave youth drop-in $1,000 to pay for its insurance.
Another grant recipient, Gimli Cross Country Ski Club, sends several teams to participate in Operation Red Nose each year.
“Most people have told me they are coming back again this year to volunteer,” said Binns. At least 30 teams are needed, with 3-4 teams on duty each night of the program, which runs Fridays and Saturdays through December, plus New Year’s Eve and Nov. 30 for the annual Firefighters Ball. Shifts can run from 8:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.
It’s a long stretch, but the time passes quickly.
“You’re sitting with fellow volunteers enjoying treats, sipping coffee, chatting,” said Letain.
In all, Gimli’s Operation Red Nose got 103 groups of partiers home safely last year within the RM of Gimli.
“We aim to be busier after the slump of the COVID years. People know we are out and about again,” said Binns, who emphasizes that Red Nose is not a taxi service. “Clients must have their own vehicles. And the service is free, but donations are gratefully accepted.”
