As of Friday, November 25, drivers who have consumed too much alcohol and are not in a state to drive after an evening of partying will be able to call on the services of Opération Nez rouge.
Now in its 26th year in Valleyfield, the service will be offered under the direction of Fondation Tournesol. The organization, which comes to the assistance of local families who have a child with a serious illness or a severe disability, is in its 5th year as beneficiary of the designated driver service in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. Headquarters will again be installed in the former convent of the Dominican Sisters on chemin Larocque.
Once again, the objective is to reach 1000 designated driver rides and Claire Raymond, Coordinator for Opération Nez rouge in Valleyfield, makes it clear that involving volunteers is key. « For three years, the number of volunteers has been growing, » said Raymond. « Furthermore, we can count on a core group of people who come back every year. Last year we reached 983 rides so it’s obvious that we can make it to the 1000 mark. »
In keeping with Opération Nez rouge tradition, an honorary president is appointed each year. For 2016, this title was bestowed on Maryline Picard, cofounder of the « Parents jusqu’au bout » movement and mother of little, four year old Dylane, a very ill child who is receiving help from Fondation Tournesol.
« My daughter has multiple health issues, » stated Maryline Picard. « She’s four years old and she has already had to be hospitalized 26 times. I don’t know what we would have done without the help of Fondation Tournesol. »
Improvement to mobile app
Opération Nez rouge implemented tools to help users plan their movements. In Québec, besides the phone number 450-371-4848 (Valleyfield) and 1 866 Desjardins (1 866 337-5273), there is an app for smartphones that allows you to contact the service closest to you. « Fifty % of the calls received last year were made with the smartphone app. Last year, Opération Nez rouge raised $1.5 million overall in Canada. $1.1 million of this amount was raised by Quebec alone.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer for Opération Nez rouge 2016 should register on line at www.operationnezrouge.com or come in person to a Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec service centre, or to Domicilia, 175 rue Salaberry in Valleyfield or to a Caisses Desjardins.
Translated by Cathleen Johnston
