Operation Red Nose

National Office of Operation Red Nose representative, here in BC is Marie Chantelle.

Marie Chantelle has been representing Operation Red Nose here in BC since 1997, which is the first year the Red Nose Program was hosted in Prince George, through UNBC.

In 2001, when the Nechako Rotary Club became the Official Host of Red Nose in Prince George, it was Marie Chantelle, working with the current Rotary Club President, Harold Spensley and Rotarian Ken Pendergast, carrying the program on from the previous hosts at UNBC.

During the past years, Marie Chantelle, who actually likes to be addressed as MC, has worked with all of our Nechako Rotary Chairs and representatives, to ensure our program is adequately registered and supported through the provincial sponsors and the National Office.

This year is the 31st year of Operation Red Nose across Canada, with some branches of the program now being hosted in other countries, including Switzerland.

MC said part of her job, which is now only 6 months of the year, is to work as a sort of watch dog or policeman, to ensure that the program is operating according to the rules. No monies are received from the individual campaigns.  All funding for the Program at the National Office level, is generated through their own sponsorships and some profit from the sale of Operation Red Nose materials.

MC and her associated were extremely pleased to see the Prince George hosts of the ORN Program meeting them on arrival at the airport at midnight on Monday evening, and showing the support of Prince George during the "Punch Bowl" launch, as well as the "Official Puck Drop" during the Cougars Hockey Game.

MC was also very impressed by the amount of exposure Operation Red Nose and "Rudy" received during the Cougars game and the intermissions.

Rotarians, President Leona Wilkinson and Lorainna Stevens thanked MC for her presentation to the Nechako Rotary Club with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.