A new organization will be in charge of Operation Red Nose this holiday season.
The Cold Lake Victim Services Unit (VSU) will be passing the reins to the Cold Lake Ag Society as host organization for the initiative.
“Our focus is victims of crimes and tragedy, and it just got too busy,” explained David Zimmerman, program manager for the VSU and previous coordinator for the local Operation Red Nose. “For Operation Red Nose to be what it could potentially be in our community, I just didn’t have the people or resources to continue on it because my focus is victims of crime.”
Over the last eight years, Zimmerman said there’s been a significant drop in impaired driving charges laid when the program is offered towards the end of November and throughout December.
“Last year, I believe there was just one charge of impaired driving. We saw near the start where it was about 28 charges. It went from 28 to one.”
With volunteers, businesses, and organizations supporting Operation Red Nose, Zimmerman believes it’s important to keep the program going.
“Everybody that was involved in it for the last eight years were incredible, and they knew that Operation Red Nose is important. As a community, we don’t want to have impaired driving-caused death. I think everybody knows the importance, and they’re totally behind it,” he explained.
Dustin Foulds, president for the ag society, has been a volunteer with Operation Red Nose for five years. When he heard the VSU was looking for another group to take over, he brought the idea to the board.
“It’s good to give back to the community, to different groups, and get people home around the holidays safely,” he said, adding it passed unanimously to move ahead as the host organization.
“One of our mandates is to give back to the community as well, so it kind of goes into that, and with Operation Red Nose being such a great service in our area, I really didn’t want to see it not happen anymore.”
Foulds described the application process as interesting.
“We had to go get different letters of support from different groups prior to even applying, so going ahead and doing that was a lot of volunteer hours, but, in the long run, it’s all work to keep our streets in Cold Lake and area safe.”
The ag society is hoping to see Operation Red Nose grow locally, and want to offer it to a larger area than just the city.
“We might make it so we go a little bit further out within the MD of Bonnyville. Currently, we just kind of keep within the city limits. If funding and volunteers allow it, we think there’s a chance that we might be able to go out a little further and expand a little bit farther,” Foulds detailed.
When Operation Red Nose is offered, volunteers are dispatched throughout the community to pick up partygoers who shouldn’t get behind the wheel. Teams of three make sure both residents and their vehicles get to their destination safely.
Although the program is free, donations are accepted on behalf of the host organization.
According to Foulds, the ag society plans to make scholarships available with some of the funds while they also hope to give money to local minor sports teams.
Zimmerman wished the ag society luck in their upcoming seasons with Operation Red Nose, and said, “We’re here to help support them, and I think they’ll do a wonderful job for it. They’ve got the resources like I don’t have to keep it afloat, and to serve our community during the Christmas season.”
On behalf of the ag society, Foulds offered his appreciation to the VSU for making the program all that it is today.
“Thanks for being there to help pass the reins on, for being very supportive, and (Zimmerman) has been helping us in any way that he can.”
