Final push for Operation Red Nose Kamloops’ 2022 campaign

KAMLOOPS — With New Year’s Eve just one more sleep away, Operation Red Nose is ready to shout out with glee as it prepares to wrap up its 26th campaign in Kamloops.

This year’s campaign allowed the service to get back to normal after COVID caused the cancellation in 2020 and limited the opportunities for Red Nose in 2021.

With Christmas parties returning and no restrictions on gatherings this year, Operation Red Nose Kamloops has been able to bounce back in a big way in 2022.

“We’re well over our ride mark from last year, so we’re really thrilled with that,” Elsa Poppleton, Operation Red Nose Coordinator tells CFJC Today. “With two more nights on the campaign, we’ve got a really solid volunteer base for these last two nights. We’re ready to roll and make sure everyone gets some safely.”

Compared to the past two years, this year’s campaign has been a huge success in raising important funds for PacificSport BC Interior.

However, organizers are hopeful that more people will be prepared to volunteer next year, and in campaigns down the road.

“It’s been a tough go with volunteer recruitment. We’ve had a really good group of volunteers this year that have made it happen, and a lot of them have put in a lot of shifts and a lot of hours, which we’re extremely thankful for. We wouldn’t be able to do it without them,” Poppleton says. “Volunteers have been a bit of a struggle, but in terms of the success of the campaign, it’s been a good transition year, going in the right direction with ride numbers and fundraising dollars that have stayed in the community.”

If your New Year’s Eve plans have fallen through, or if you want to spend a fun night keeping the streets of Kamloops safe, there is still time to volunteer.

And of course, if you plan to ring in 2023 with a couple of drinks, you can call Operation Red Nose and they’ll get you and your vehicle home safely.

“We don’t do any pre-reserved bookings, so you do need to call when you are looking to get that safe ride home. I will warn you, give yourself a good half hour to an hour grace period, just depending on the hour of the evening, and depending on our busyness, stuff like that. (250)372-5110 is the number to call for your safe ride home.”