(Quebec) Operation Red Nose announced on Tuesday the premature end of its escort service in Quebec due to the epidemiological situation. It was to last until December 31.
However, the organization’s management points out that in this atypical year, the volunteers and the Operation Red Nose team are very proud to have brought thousands of Quebecers back to safety this fall after their festive evenings.
The director of communications and marketing for Nez rouge, Marilyn Vigneault, points out that the decision was emotional and difficult, but that it was taken “with the feeling of duty accomplished”.
However, following the most recent barrier measures put in place by Quebec to slow the spread of COVID-19, it “went without saying”, according to Mr.me Vigneault, that the operation could no longer continue its activities which put volunteers and clients at risk.
“Operation Red Nose was keen to support efforts to minimize contact,” she added.
Volunteers were back on the roads this year in 23 regions of Quebec after being forced to take a break in 2020 due to containment linked to the COVID-19 crisis.
In total, nearly 7,000 rides were performed by 6,800 volunteers over the course of ten evenings where the service was offered. Under the circumstances, the organization is very proud of this record, underlined Mr.me Vigneault in an interview with The Canadian Press.
Moreover, if recruitment still represents a challenge for Operation Red Nose, the pandemic has obviously complicated matters further. Several regions had thus planned to end their 2021 campaign as of last Sunday.
And if Red Nose has taken the decision to end its activities as a preventive measure, the organization is delighted with the effectiveness of its protocol since no outbreak has been reported among the various regional centers of the organization.
Operation Red Nose has been part of the Quebec landscape since the mid-1980s. The organization has since extended its wings to other Canadian provinces.
In 2019, more than 50,000 Quebec motorists were safely escorted home.
When the Operation Red Nose teams are in a position to be on duty, they offer motorists who are unfit to drive due to impaired capacities to be driven home with their car, in return for a financial contribution of their choice. to be paid to organizations dedicated to youth development and amateur sport.
In the absence of the Red Nose service, Marilyn Vigneault invites people to plan their trips if they are going to consume alcohol by taking a taxi, by designating a designated driver or by staying on site to spend the night.