Volunteering For The 2010 Olympics

A few weekends ago, I volunteered at a children's camp, and it was a great experience. It was exciting to be around so much energy and be involved with such a great group of kids. The camp's leaders were amazing - a dynamic group of people with personalities on all sides of the spectrum. After a great weekend of camp, the other leaders and I were talking about our experiences and I was asked: "So, do you volunteer often?" And honestly, it threw me off for a moment, because the truth is I don't. How many people can say yes to that question? What with everyone's busy schedules, not many of us would say that we have time for volunteering.

With the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, this could help people become more engaged in their community. By 2008, the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) will begin recruiting its 25,000 volunteer workforce.

Since the initial Bid process, they have already received thousands of inquiries to volunteer and become part of the Games. With just over three years remaining until the Opening Ceremonies, there are already people willing to devote 27 days of their time to this special event. Plus they have committed to the additional days for training and orientation.

Wow! Three years in advance and there are people ready to put aside their regular schedule and devote more than a month to these Games. Why is that? Simple. People want to be a part of the Olympics. They see the Olympics as something that is special, and they want to be involved. When the volunteers look back after the Games, they will say that they were there and they were a part of this amazing experience.

All this enthusiasm for involvement may also encourage further community involvement after the Olympics are finished. Many people are willing to help the Olympics make their mark after 2010 has packed up and gone. Not-for-profit groups associated with 2010 Legacies Now are working to create long-term sustainable benefits in areas of sport, recreation, art and volunteerism. They intend to carry the enthusiasm of the Olympics onwards. 2010 Legacies Now intends to have one million active volunteers by 2010, and has its mind set on creating legacies built around Participation, Sustainability, and Performance. They want to increase volunteer involvement with organizations that need community support by encouraging partnerships and collaboration.

The 2000 Sydney Olympics had 46,000 volunteers. They were such key players in those Games that a parade to celebrate their contributions was held. During the closing speech, IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch gave recognition to all the work the volunteers had done to help run the Games. That moment of highlighting the volunteers and what they had done for the Games has stuck with me since then.

Who knows what possibilities may evolve after the Olympics are here? When those 25,000 volunteers leave Vancouver and head back to their home across British Columbia and across Canada, they will bring back with them that excitement of involvement. Volunteers get a lot back from their work: a sense of citizenship, a greater understanding of others, work experience, personal development, community growth. The experiences that the Olympic volunteers will have are intangible and customized to each person.

The impact that volunteers have on the Vancouver 2010 Olympics can lead to an amazing Games. Just imagine the potential that Vancouver 2010 will have for the volunteers.