As Christmas holidays quickly approach, Pronghorns Athletics at the University of Lethbridge is getting ready to launch another year of Operation Red Nose.
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The Pronghorns held a kick-off event at the University Tuesday afternoon, preparing for the 24th year of the campaign.
Operation Red Nose provides drivers with safe rides home, with no set charge, but rather a donation to the university’s athletics program.
“As the years go by, it becomes more and more expensive for athletics to operate,” Pronghorns Athletics Executive Director Ken McInnes said.
“We can only lean on the university so hard. So this is a big part of our fundraising and it really is a chance to pick up the extras for the student athletes as we go forward.”
In 10 nights last year, volunteers provided 967 rides, driving party-goers over 19,000 kilometers. Through those efforts, close to $40,000 was raised to support the university’s Pronghorn teams.
It’s a program Pronghorns Women’s Hockey athlete Tricia Vanvaerenbergh is happy to support.
“It’s just a good initiative to give back to the community and it keeps everyone safe during the holiday time,” Vanvaerenbergh said.
“There’s lots of Christmas parties and lots of celebrating going on, so just to keep the community safer and just to give back in this kind of way is a really good opportunity for us.”
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Pronghorns Athletics is hoping for strong volunteer support for Dec. 21, 22 and 23, when many of their student athletes will have gone home for the Christmas break.
“We’re really going to be leaning on our community support this year to fill those dates,” McInnes said.
The safe driving initiative officially begins on Nov. 30.
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