The late Mark Rollins was the focus of the Red Nose Quinte’s 18th campaign launch event Sunday.
Red Nose, whose volunteers drive holiday season revellers and their vehicles home safely, free of charge, has raised around $600,000 over the past 17 seasons.
Rollins was the volunteer in charge of getting sponsors and in his 14 years of service raised almost half of that total with over $280,000 in sponsorships.
“Mark was a very busy business person but he rarely missed a Red Nose meeting and he was always there for us. He not only worked hard at getting sponsors but at making sure they got the community recognition he thought they deserved. Often we’d sit at late day meetings and he’d pull out his day book and pull out several cheques, many in the thousands of dollars, and slide them over to us,” said David Allen, President & CEO of the YMCA
of Central East Ontario.
The YMCA, in particular the annual Strong Kids Campaign, receives some of the money raised through sponsorships and donations from the service’s patrons. The other organization that benefits from Red Nose Quinte’s volunteer efforts is Camp Trillium via the Sunrise Rotary Club.
David Allen, President and CEO of the YMCA of Central East Ontario, speaking at Red Nose Quinte’s 2022 campaign launch. (Photo: Quinte News)
Allen went on to say that Rollins wasn’t only a fundraiser but someone who liked to have fun, taking on the sweaty job of running around in parades dressed in a Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer costume happily handing candy to children along the way.
“Over the years, and with thanks to great volunteers like Mark Rollins, we’ve become the best Red Nose program in Ontario. We will strive to meet Mark’s standards of service and work to continue to remain # 1,” said Allen.
Members of the Rollins family were on hand for the campaign launch.
The campaign’s co-chairs this season are Fire Chiefs John Whalen of Quinte West and Belleville’s Monique Belair. Chief Whalen said about 55% of fatal collisions in Canada involve impaired drivers. “I’ve had a lot of fun volunteering with Red Nose but the bottom line is that this is a very important service, one that is saving lives.”
The campaign starts this Friday, November 25 and runs through New Year’s Eve on weekends. Volunteers are always welcome. Go to Red Nose Quinte’s website if you’re interested.
Red Nose has not operated for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic but in 2019 over 2,500 people were driven home safely by its volunteers during the festive season.
If you’d like to use the service, the phone number is 613-962-4334. Although the rides are free donations will always be gratefully accepted.
From left to right: Mayor of Belleville Neil Ellis, Quinte West Fire Chief and campaign co-chair John Whalen, Quinte West West Mayor Jim Harrison, and Bay of Quinte riding MPP Todd Smith. (Photo: Quinte News)
