Last call before you hit the road!

    Operation Red Nose - a free service offers partygoers and their cars a
    safe ride home

    SAINT JOHN, Nov. 14 /CNW/ - This holiday season, Insurance Bureau of
Canada (IBC) and Operation Red Nose - with the help of thousands of volunteers
- will once again offer partygoers (and their cars) a safe ride home.
    During the holiday season, think about using the Operation Red Nose (ORN)
service. This service keeps impaired drivers off the road and, at the same
time, gets everyone who sees or hears about the program thinking about
celebrating responsibly. This year, Operation Red Nose, the unique, free
designated-driver service, will be operating in five New Brunswick
communities: the Acadian Peninsula, Edmundston, Moncton, Oromocto-Burton and
Saint John, where the service, hosted by Fusion Saint John, is offered for the
first year. Holiday revellers in these areas will have the option of making
the smart call - to get themselves and their cars home safely - from the last
weekend of November until the end of December.
    "Operation Red Nose increases public awareness about enjoying the season
and making responsible choices," said Bill Adams, Acting Vice-President,
Atlantic, Insurance Bureau of Canada. "Our goal is to keep the festive season
festive by preventing the needless tragedies that result from impaired
driving. Operation Red Nose is a natural extension of our industry's long-term
commitment to road safety, and we are delighted to be a part of this important
program for the fourth consecutive year. Part of this commitment is an overall
contribution of $225,000 which goes to support the promotion, organization and
administration of this program."
    For a second year, the New Brunswick Operation Red Nose campaign will
also benefit from the support of Alcool NB Liquor. In addition to providing
financial support, the crown corporation will mount an awareness campaign
within its stores in the communities where Operation Red Nose will be running.
These stores will soon be decorated with the Operation Red Nose colours, and
customers will have access to handouts indicating the dates the service will
be operating, and the phone number they can call to arrange for a ride.

    Operation Red Nose - 25th Campaign

    Created in 1984 in Quebec City by Jean-Marie De Koninck, Operation Red
Nose celebrates, in 2008, its 25th campaign. To commemorate this 25th
campaign, the national office of Operation Red Nose has organized a draw for
the volunteers from Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The prize is a five-day trip to Quebec City during
Carnival in February of 2009. The prize includes transportation,
accommodations, breakfasts and $500 spending money. Every time someone
volunteers, he or she is given a chance to win. To sweeten the pot, IBC will
be drawing one lucky volunteer's name in every location it sponsors and they
will win an iPod classic.
    "Insurance Bureau of Canada is an excellent partner because it is
dedicated to contributing to the development and expansion of the Operation
Red Nose service in Canada," said Mr. De Koninck. "In addition to being an
important sponsor in Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, IBC also
provides significant financial resources and manpower each year to promote the
Operation Red Nose campaign and recruit volunteers."
    Operation Red Nose would not be able to provide its designated-driver
service in New Brunswick without the help of the hundreds of people who
volunteer their time, and their cars, during one of the busiest seasons of the
year and IBC encourages the employees of its member insurance companies to
become Operation Red Nose volunteers during the month of December. "Last year,
more than 1,900 New Brunswickers, about 300 more than in 2006, wore the bright
red vest and enjoyed the unique experience of volunteering for Operation Red
Nose with their friends, their families and their colleagues," said De
Koninck. "Spending a night volunteering for Red Nose is definitely a tangible
way to help out while having fun during the holiday season!"
    Operation Red Nose invites everyone in the Acadian Peninsula, Edmundston,
Moncton, Oromocto-Burton and Saint John areas to come out and volunteer. The
easiest way to become a volunteer is to print and fill out the application
form you will find online at www.operationrednose.com, sign it and send it to
the address indicated.

    Operation Red Nose in Canada

    The famous Operation Red Nose service, back on Canadian roads for a 25th
year, will be operating in seven Canadian provinces in 2008: Nova Scotia, New
Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia. More than
100 communities throughout the country will be hosting the program during the
holiday season.
    Since 1984, 738,124 volunteers of Operation Red Nose have provided no
fewer than 1,437,866 safe rides home in Canada. While the service is free,
donations are accepted. All donations made by clients are given to local youth
organizations and amateur sport organizations.

For further information: Kate Barnett, Saint John Operation Red Nose
Coordinator, Fusion Saint John, (506) 631-5522; Pauline Roy, Insurance Bureau
of Canada (IBC), (506) 864-4745; Julie Royer, Marketing and Communications
Director, Operation Red Nose, 1-800-463-7222, 1-866-213-1271,
jroyer@operationnezrouge.com