Dozens of people enjoyed a night out on the town and made it home safe and sound over the holidays thanks to Mokie Burnham and her volunteers.
Burnham, along with Wayne Plimmer and Rick Allen, provided a safe ride service for patrons at the Lighthouse Pub, Gilligan's and a few house parties on the busiest nights of the holiday season. And people were all too pleased for the free ride home, Burnham said.
"They were just unbelievably grateful. People were just amazing. They kept trying to give us big, huge tips. Everybody, young and old, from 20 to 70, we had. They were just unbelievable," Burnham said.
She said she started the safe ride service as an extension of the other volunteer driving she does and because recent changes in provincial laws mean most holiday revellers could face losing their licence even after one or two drinks.
"We need something like that now, given that the laws are just a little bit stricter in terms of how much people can drink," she said. "I know that people were terrified we were just trying to help people out."
Burnham said it is her goal to expand the program into Operation Red Nose next year and see other safe ride programs in place for the Coast's special events like the Pender Harbour Jazz Festival.
Burnham said big thanks are owed to her volunteers who made the safe ride service possible.
