Gearing up to give Sudbury revellers safe ride home during holiday season
New local service to take over from national campaign by Operation Red Nose
Safe Ride Home Sudbury wants to help get people home safely after they've been drinking.
The organization will provide transportation around the holiday season for those in Sudbury, Ont., who want to celebrate with alcoholic drinks, without worrying about how they'll get home at the end of the night.
Safe Ride Home is taking over the service from Operation Red Nose. The latter is a national campaign which operates in the final six weeks of each year, when most holiday parties are held. That service has operated in Sudbury since 1999.
The same team of people will help operate Safe Ride Home Sudbury says president Lesli Green. Adding that they will now have more flexibility to better serve the community.
"This was a very carefully thought out decision," Green says.
"Even though I admire the affiliation of [Operation Red Nose] over the last 18 years, you have to recognize that our organization is powered by more than a brand name. It's really driven by the people in our community."
Community supports the change
There is also a new phone number for users: 705-675-CALL (2255).
The organization will continue to have support from community partners like Cambrian Ford, Tim Hortons and the Greater Sudbury Police Services.
"All of our sponsors completely and wholly support us and...I'm very proud of that fact," Green says. "We've got very loyal sponsors, and we've got partnerships that have been there for 18 years."
She adds the same goes for the volunteers.
"We've got a very dedicated group of volunteers in this community, very selfless people."