The Canada Games are 1 year away, and St. John's is on the hunt for volunteers
The 2025 Canada Games is launching their search for volunteers with a new online application portal.
The announcement is a part of the One Year Out Celebration in St. John's this week as preparations and excitement for the games starts to amp up.
Hosting a professional sports event isn't a light task, and according to St. John's Mayor Danny Breen, volunteers will be the backbone of the 2025 Canada Games in the city. He says about 5,000 volunteers are needed in over 150 different roles, with 30,000 shifts to fill spanning the events.
"We're a volunteer community in many ways," said Breen. "People in this city and this province give all their time to different groups that they belong to."
Breen says that sense of togetherness is what drives the Canada Games, and a strong volunteer base and community support can create a "connected city," where people can bond over sport while showcasing the city and province.
Officials are optimistic about the turnout, including 2025 Canada Games co-chair Karl Smith.
"There's so many people that want to be a part of the Canada Games that we're sure we're going to have a great response," he said.
Smith says there's a lot of work to be done, but there's a role for every skill set. Whether you're a doctor or a cab driver, there's a gap to fill.
Available volunteer roles include transportation, social media management and food services. With over 4,800 athletes staying in the province next August, many hands are needed.
Of the 5,000 volunteers needed to operate the Canada Games, 500 of them must be bilingual.
"The Francophone community is an integral part of Canada's cultural fabric and its representation at the games is vital," said Kim Larouche, the official languages lead for the event.
However, the host society is encouraging people of any and all backgrounds to get involved. Applicants must be 16 years or older and there is a screening and selection process to take place in September.
Breen and Smith both tout the lasting impact hosting the Canada Games could have on the province, and the heart of that is its volunteers. It's about being a part of something bigger, says Smith.
The Canada Games is the biggest sports event in the country, and according to Smith, there's a forecasted injection of over $120 million into the local economy. However, he says the impact will stretch far beyond that and create a foundation and infrastructure of volunteerism in the community beyond the closing ceremonies.
Finding thousands of volunteers for the games might take time, but Smith says it would look a lot different without them.
"Volunteering is the heart and soul of the games," he said.
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