It has been a successful holiday for Operation Red Nose in Portage la Prairie and they wish to keep the success coming.

Portage la Prairie coordinator Leo Lapointe says they are still raising funds for Portage Minor Hockey while also getting people home safe at the same time. He says the number of rides are down about half from 2019, but donations are relatively close. He thinks this weekend will be a good one.

"Our last weekend, which is always New Year's Eve, is one of our busiest nights of the year," says Lapointe. "I'm just hoping that everybody that goes out that night doesn't drink and drive, and then they make sure they call us."

Lapointe says they will head out of Portage if need be. They do drive people back to MacGregor, High Bluff, Oakville and more. With more teams, it's less of a wait for those who are planning to use the service.

He says they usually have about 10-15 teams volunteer on the final weekend of the Operation Red Nose campaign. He hopes you'll consider helping out.

"We start at 8:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve until 3:00 a.m., but, of course, if you phone before 3:00 a.m., we don't finish until we're done with you. (We will) pick you up and get you home with your vehicle," says Lapointe. "I'm really looking for volunteers for New Year's Eve. Another four or five teams, at least, sure would be nice."

You do not have to sign-up as a team. If you do not know anyone else who can volunteer, they can find a team for you.

If you are interested, please call him at (204) 870-5151 or e-mail him at RedNosePortage@shaw.ca.

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