As Quebeckers gear up for one of the biggest party nights of the year, Operation Nez Rouge is scrambling to gather as many volunteers as possible before tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve festivities get underway.
For almost 30 years, the organization has been bringing volunteers together to drive people home from parties, to ensure impaired drivers stay off of the road.
Nez Rouge is aiming to gather 1,500 volunteers that will offer rides to Quebeckers this Tuesday night.
Generally speaking, on New Year’s the service provides about 200 lifts. They say they would give more if they had more volunteers to do so.
Volunteers travel in groups and arrive at parties in a Nez Rouge car, then drive party-goers home in their own vehicles, followed by one of the organization’s cars.
On an average night, each group of volunteers will give about 4-6 lifts.
That said, volunteers can clock in for any length of time that they choose, explained Veronique Ruel a spokesperson for Nez Rouge.
Right now, the organization is looking for all the help it can get.
“Sometimes we have so many calls and not enough volunteers that we have to block the lines for a certain amount of time,” said Nez Rouge’s Vanessa Papineau. “Then, as soon as there are volunteers available, we turn them back on.”
Ruel said that longtime volunteers contribute to a family atmosphere and welcome newcomers with open arms.
Nez Rouge offers services from Nov. 29 to Dec.31.
The organization has had one million volunteers donate their time and effort in six Canadian provinces so far this month.
Organizers say that 47,000 rides have already been given in Quebec since the first Friday of the month, and that 17,000 of those have been in Montreal.
