Operation Red Nose is gearing up for another year of getting people home safe after celebrating the holidays. “Every ride that Operation Red Nose takes part in does two things: it gets somebody home safely with their car and it also takes one more risk off the road during a busy festive season,” said Jen Elson, who is with Operation Red Nose. The volunteer-run service works by having three people drive to meet the person who called for a ride. Two people go in the car of the caller and drive them home while the third person follows in the “escort vehicle.” “That peace of mind of you and your car getting home safely is exactly what Operation Red Nose has been providing Manitobans since 1995.” Now, for the 2026 campaign, Operation Red Nose is looking for nearly 1,000 volunteers to once again help everyone make it home safely this holiday season. “We need drivers behind the wheel. We need navigators planning routes. We need dispatchers to keep things moving.” The designated driver service will be providing rides in eight communities throughout Manitoba – Winnipeg, Brandon, Flin Flon, Gimli, Portage la Prairie, La Broquerie/Steinbach, Saint-Malo and The Pas. Nearly 1,500 rides were given last year and the service gets on average 4,000 Manitobans home safely every year. Service starts on Nov. 27 and goes until Dec. 31. People can call 204-947-6673 between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. The rides are completely free, however, donations are accepted, with all funds raised going toward the Winnipeg Kids Foundation. If people are looking to volunteer, they can find more details online. Manitobans are also encouraged to download the Operation Red Nose app, which will have more details on the service for each community.
