Operation Red Nose is returning to Saskatchewan for the 11th year.
This year, the road safety campaign will operate out of the Battlefords, Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Yorkton.
Operation Red Nose is aimed at reducing drunk and high driving during the holiday season. Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), a provincial partner of the national campaign, said impaired driving is still the leading cause of fatal crashes in the province.
The service is organized entirely by volunteers and transports people and their vehicles home safely, free of charge. Donations are welcome with every penny going toward local youth or amateur sports initiatives.
The Saskatoon Millennium Lions Club’s Tom Armstrong has been involved with the host organization for all eight years it’s taken place in the city. He said they gave 996 people a safe ride home in Saskatoon and the surrounding communities of Martensville and Warman last year.
Starting Nov. 29, the service will be available in the four Saskatchewan communities from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and up until the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2020.
Armstrong added they are dedicating the first evening to the memory of the four members of the Van der Vorst family who died as a result of an impaired driving crash just outside of Saskatoon on Jan. 3, 2016.
Those who wish to take part can sign up to volunteer by downloading an application form at Operation Red Nose online.
People can contact the service by calling 639-480-6673 or via the app.