Operation Red Nose will not be running its safe-ride service in Kamloops this December because of COVID-19.

Executive Director of PacificSport Interior BC Carolynn Boomer says the decision was made to keep both clients and volunteers safe.

“When you look at headquarters, which we used Desert Gardens, a seniors community centre. They’re not even open yet. When you look at using client cars, okay, what’s the cleaning of the touchpoints there. Yes, you can have masks,” she said.

“It’s so layered in terms of really just trying to mitigate potential health risks to everyone involved.”

It would have been the 24th year of Operation Red Nose in Kamloops this winter. The program has volunteers driving people home after a night out on the town on weekends from late November to New Year’s Eve.

Boomer says while not having the service is disappointing, they still plan to unveil an awareness campaign sometime next month.

“The decision was not to have the driving component. We in Kamloops of course, this is Pacific Sport’s major fundraiser, so with the driving piece taken away just due to safety and the pandemic, we are really looking at other alternatives,” she said.

“We are looking forward to being able to come back to the community to say hey, you know what, we are not going away. I think that is a strong message there. It is going to look different but there will be some type of awareness campaign for sure.”

Last year, Operation Red Nose provided 1,218 rides over 15 nights in Kamloops, and raised about $33,000 for PacificSport Interior BC.