TO2015 Announces Volunteer Program Advisory Council

Nearly 20,000 volunteers needed to ensure Games success

TORONTO, April 17, 2012 /CNW/ - In recognition of National Volunteer Week, running April 15-21, the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) today announced the formation of its Volunteer Program Advisory Council and reaffirmed its commitment to helping building social capital through the planning and delivery of the Games.

"TO2015 is committed to developing a world-class volunteer program and we will rely on the expertise of the Volunteer Program Advisory Council members to help us do so," said Elaine Roper, TO2015 Senior Vice-President, Human Resources. "The Toronto 2015 Games will be the largest multi-sport games ever held in Canada and require up to 20,000 volunteers to ensure they are a success."

The Volunteer Program Advisory Council will share best practices in volunteer planning and management and provide input on a variety of key areas including program design, engagement, training, retention, recognition strategies, service delivery, sourcing identification and outreach. The council will meet quarterly.

Currently, TO2015 has more than 100 dedicated volunteers in various positions such as the board of directors, advisory councils, committees and other office volunteers. With just over three years to the Games, TO2015 will continue to add volunteer positions to the growing Organizing Committee team.

"Volunteers play a critical role in building and shaping Ontario. We honour and thank those who give their time and energy to make our communities better places," said Charles Sousa, Ontario Minister responsible for the Pan/Parapan Am Games. "We encourage and welcome all those who want to pitch in to help us deliver a successful 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games."

The TO2015 Volunteer Program Advisory Council currently includes 17 representatives from diverse areas including sponsorship, sport, tourism, Aboriginal, francophone, not-for-profit, para-athletics, arts, medical, volunteer organizations and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT).

"There are so many different volunteer opportunities available and the numbers in Canada are staggering. Last year 13.3 million Canadians volunteered and contributed 2.1 billion hours," said Ruth MacKenzie, President and Chief Executive Officer of Volunteer Canada. "I'm thrilled to be a member of TO2015's Volunteer Program Advisory Council because the Games create real opportunities for volunteers to get involved and make an impact on their community."

There will be a variety of volunteer positions in many areas such as transportation and logistics, arts and culture programming, sport and venue management and community engagement. While the largest group of volunteers will be needed for Games time, interested candidates can register now to learn about current and future opportunities surrounding the Games. Click here to learn more.

About the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games

The Pan American Games are one of the world's largest international multi-sport events, held every four years for athletes of the 41 member nations of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO). The Games comprise all Olympic Summer Games sports, as well as traditional Pan American sports. The Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games will draw 10,000 athletes and officials and feature 48 sports in municipalities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe area. The Toronto 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10-26 and the Parapan American Games August 7-14. For more information about the Games, please visit toronto2015.org.

BACKGROUNDER

About TO2015's Volunteer Program Advisory Council

The Volunteer Program Advisory Council is tasked with providing insight and guidance to the formation of the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015)'s volunteer program. Council members will generate and contribute ideas related to operational, delivery and engagement aspects of the program. Currently sitting at 17 members, the council is comprised of representatives with diverse expertise from a variety of organizations—from sport to arts and culture to not-for-profit. The Volunteer Program Advisory Council will ensure the program is inclusive, accessible and appealing to the Toronto 2015 Games 20,000 volunteers.

Volunteer Program Advisory Council Term of Membership

The initial term for Volunteer Program Advisory Council members is one year and subject to renewal by mutual agreement and identified need.

Volunteer Program Advisory Council Positions

Two sponsor representatives						Sport representative
Tourism representative						Aboriginal representative
Not-for-profit representative						Lesbian gay bisexual transgendered representative
Para-athletics representative						Arts representative
Medical representative						Francophone representative
Two volunteer community representatives

TO2015 Volunteer Program

The volunteer program has two key recruitment phases that include pre-Games and Games-time roles. Pre-Games volunteer recruitment is an ongoing process that launched in 2010. Pre-Games recruitment includes leadership volunteers whose expertise is related to the development and planning of the Games. All of these opportunities are posted on toronto2015.org. Recruitment for Games-time volunteers will launch in 2014. Games-time volunteers will be customer-service focused, and these positions may include ceremonies talent, city hosts, interpreters and event services.

TO2015 Volunteers

Volunteers are an essential component to the Toronto 2015 Games experience. TO2015 is currently supported by more than 100 volunteers. The volunteer program will see up to 20,000 volunteers leading up to and during the Games. To date, more than 1,650 people have applied for volunteer positions online.

For further information:

Carlene Siopis
Communications Advisor
TO2015
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]