Leave The Keys At Home, Free Rides For New Year's

The tradition will continue this year, so if you’re planning on painting the town red this New Year’s Eve the option for a ride home will still be there. Instead of picking up the keys after that New Year’s kiss, you can call a volunteer from the Valley County Search and Rescue (VCSAR) team or from some of the local wrecking companies.

Randy Isakson explained that the tradition started over a decade ago. It started out as kind of a joke, they’d haul people home along with their vehicles in tow from the bar. He explained that it got to be too much work, so they ended up having two people in a vehicle, that way one could drive the vehicle to someone’s home, while the other one followed. The idea was to get donations for the Valley County Search and Rescue.

“There are lots of people spending money on spirits, sometimes they don’t mind throwing a little money for rides,” Isakson said. “People appreciate it and it takes the pressure of law enforcement.”

Isakson also said that they started out the tradition with Aldie Hallock, Lannie Hanson and the Cooks’. Rob Brunelle will be one of the people volunteering to provide rides this year and is also someone who helps coordinate the rides. He said that some years they give 150 people rides, most years average around 120. Last year, around 170 people were given rides.

Brunelle said that you could expect to see some vehicles parked around the downtown area with flashy lights to help signal who they are. While they don’t take everyone’s vehicles home, the service is still offered within reason.

For rides to ring in the New Year you can call Tom Pewitt from Hi-Line Collision at 263-2154, Josh Thompson from Thompson & Sons at 263-8726, Rob Brunelle from the VCSAR at 263-7621, Cat Fisher from VCSAR at 648-7357, Sandy Carpenter from the VCSAR at 939-4657, Shyanne “Whisky” Isakson from VCSAR at 263-2505, or Dillon Koski from VCSAR at 230-2908. Jesse Cook will also be driving from Thompson & Sons, his cell number is 230-1176. Rides are free but donations to the VCSAR are welcomed.