Volunteers needed for World Games
Auckland is set to host one of the biggest sporting events in its history, and it needs volunteers to pull it off.
The World Masters Games are coming up next year with organisers needing to recruit up to 4000 volunteers.
Games chief executive Jennah Wootten says not since the 2011 Rugby World Cup and the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, have so many volunteers been required in Auckland for a sporting event.
‘‘Volunteers are the support team, helping athletes to achieve their personal best and play a vital role in ensuring the Games run smoothly and are an enjoyable experience for all,’’ she says.
‘‘They will be an ambassador for World Masters Games 2017 from now, till the event.’’
The World Masters Games is the largest multi-sport event in the world. In terms of athlete numbers, it’s bigger in scale than even the Olympics, Wootten says.
It is also the largest event New Zealand will host in at least the next decade.
Auckland will host the event from April 21-30, with 25,000 athletes competing in 28 sports across 48 competition venues. The event is expected to generate over 240,000 visitor nights and $30.8m GDP for Auckland alone.
‘‘We are looking for volunteers who have a positive attitude, the ability to work well in a team environment, are approachable and friendly and ‘go the extra mile’,’’ Wootten says.
‘‘Many of our current applicants (1500) have connections with a variety of community organisations, not all exclusively sport. We’ve also received a number of applications from international students studying in Auckland.
‘‘The volunteer team – known as the Pit Crew, will be as diverse
‘‘Auckland and the Waikato region will be a great place to be in April next year. The World Masters Games will create an amazing buzz and will be an occasion for everyone to enjoy.’’
For more details on volunteering visit worldmastersgames2017.co.nz.