Organizers of the BC Special Olympics are in need of volunteers to help prepare the city for the games, which run from July 10 to 13 in Prince George.
This marks the third time the games have been hosted here.
More than 1,000 athletes from BC and the Yukon will be visiting Prince George for the event.
Currently, 50 volunteers have signed up. Donna Flood, director of volunteer services for the BC Special Olympics, outlined how many more volunteers will be needed to help the city host these games effectively.
"We're looking for 1,000 volunteers,” said Flood. “I think the reason these organizations have such trust and confidence in Prince George is because Prince George always comes through. When we've held these events in the past, people really do step up and want to participate."
Flood told The Citizen that a considerable amount of work needs to be done ahead of the games, and they are currently looking for volunteer leads in almost all areas, including a lead volunteer for kitchen and food services and a lead volunteer for transportation.
“The big one is food, which requires people all day to help provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the athletes,” said Flood. “There are 1,000 athletes, so you can imagine the amount of food we need to prepare. We also need volunteers at each of the venues to help support the sports. We need volunteers for transportation, accommodation, security, and volunteer photographers. Pretty much anything you can think of — if you have a skill, let us know, and we'll shamelessly use you to make sure we provide the best Special Olympic Summer Games ever.”
Flood said the volunteers will be well looked after, with meals provided and an online volunteer platform to match them with schedules based on the greatest needs for the event.
Volunteers will also receive a BC Special Olympics T-shirt.
Flood is excited to see the event flourish with the help of locals from Prince George. She also wants the community to recognize how important this event is to the city as a whole.
“It’s really important to show our pride in Prince George and how we are a community that gives back,” said Flood. “It’s also important to support these athletes. The Special Olympians work so hard at their sports, and to get out there and cheer them on, right across the province, we really need to take pride in these individuals who work so hard.”
The city will host a 100-day countdown for the BC Special Olympics at the Kin Centre atrium on Tuesday, April 1 from 10 to 11 a.m. The public is welcome to attend and celebrate with athletes and organizers, hear inspirational speakers and see a rhythmic gymnastics performance.
If you are interested in volunteering, visit the BC Special Olympics website to register or scan the barcode in the pictures section of this story.
