B.C. Special Olympics are looking for volunteers for the upcoming winter games in Vernon, Feb. 21 to Feb. 23, 2019.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/BC Special Olympics
January 14, 2019 - 3:17 PM
VERNON - The Special Olympics are set to flood Vernon with athletes, coaches and fans next month, but for the event to run smoothly there'll need to be a big influx of another group: Volunteers.
The B.C. Special Olympics will held from Feb. 21 to Feb. 23, attracting more than 800 athletes and coaches from this province and the Yukon for competition in eight sports. It's a massive undertaking, one that requires a large body of volunteers. According to the Chair of the Greater Vernon Olympics, the event has just over half the necessary number of people.
"About 425 people have signed up," Glenn Benischek said. "Our goal is 800."
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Special Olympics. They help transport athletes to events, supply the required gear, clean up, and an assortment of other tasks. Benischek said volunteer registration has been sluggish for the last month, but he attributes the lower-than-anticipated numbers to the holiday season.
"We'd like to be further along [with volunteer numbers]," he said. "I would expect the numbers to increase drastically this month."
Benischek thinks the Special Olympics provides an excellent communal experience for the Vernon area.
"It's a motivational event," he said. "There's great energy from the athletes. They've been training for months."
People can registration to be a Special Olympics volunteer here.
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