Pronghorn Athletics will not participate in the Operation Red Nose campaign for the 2023 holiday season. (File photo: University of Lethbridge Pronghorn Athletics)

By Justin Goulet

Operation Red Nose a no-go for Pronghorn Athletics this holiday season

Nov 22, 2023 | 2:25 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Pronghorn Athletics will not participate in Operation Red Nose (ORN) this winter.

Laval University started ORN in 1983. It aims to prevent impaired driving. Individuals who have been drinking or do not feel fit to drive can be driven home in their own vehicle by a team of volunteers.

On November 22, 2023, it was announced by Pronghorn Athletics that due to “insurmountable challenges securing insurance”, the University of Lethbridge (U of L) athletics department has been forced to pause its participation in the program.

Executive director of Pronghorn Athletics, Neil Langevin said the decision to step back from the campaign was “extremely difficult” but the group ran out of time to secure an insurance agreement that would allow them to launch t he program and mobilize the volunteer recruitment efforts needed to secure helpers for ORN.

Langevin stated, “Despite the best efforts of our insurance providers and Campus Safety, who have been working to find a solution since February, we just weren’t able to get everything in place that would allow us to run the program this year.”

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He continued, “It’s very disappointing, as it’s something our athletes look forward to each year and really connects our program with the community.”

Langevin voiced confidence that a solution will be found to participate in the program next year. He thanked all community partners that Pronghorn Athletics has worked with throughout the program’s 26-year history at the U of L.

Langevin remarked, “The volunteers, sponsors and supporters who have helped build this program into an important community service have been unwavering in their encouragement for us to resume a program next year and we will continue to work toward that.”

He said, “I want to extend our gratitude to Tim Hortons and Gas King in particular, all those who have utilized the service over the years, as well as Lethbridge Police Service, our partners in the insurance industry and City of Lethbridge Transit. They all recognize how important it is to keep impaired drivers off our roads and have long seen the value of a safe ride program in our community.”

There is no fee to run the service, however donations towards the athletics program are accepted. Over 26 seasons, more than $815,000 has been raised to support student-athletes at the U of L.

READ MORE: Operation Red Nose Lethbridge celebrating a ‘successful’ 2022 after a two-year hiatus

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