02 February 2001

Lausanne, Switzerland/Bonn, Germany: National Olympic Committees worldwide will honour 70,000 volunteers as part of widespread support for the ongoing International Year of Volunteers 2001 (IYV 2001).

"The Olympic Movement is the largest volunteer moment, whose foundation and existence depend on volunteerism," Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said late Thursday. "The success of the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney last year was due to the 47,000 volunteers."

Speaking at a ceremony in Lausanne for the sending of invitations to participate in next year's XIX Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Mr. Samaranch said the IOC had "mobilized the International Federations and National Olympic Committees to undertake their own initiatives on recognizing, facilitating, networking and promoting the volunteer system".

He also announced that the IOC would organize a conference on sport and volunteerism next June.

According to Ed Eynon, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and International Relations for the Salt Lake City Olympic Committee, almost 50,000 people have registered as volunteer candidates, of which 26,000 will be selected. Service training for 11,000 volunteers will start in two weeks.

"The key element of successful Games are the volunteers," he said. "There is a one-to-one correlation between great Games and great volunteers -- volunteers are the backbone of successful Games."

Mit Ramney, President of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, noted that the Olympic Games are "defined by the faces of the volunteers. They will be what you remember".

Athletes around the world should join the "volunteer Olympics" during 2001, said Sharon Capeling-Alakija, Executive Coordinator of the Bonn-based United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) who attended the ceremony. UNV is focal point for IYV 2001, which was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1997.

"The world of sports and the world of volunteers are closely interlinked," said Ms. Capeling-Alakija. "What would Olympic Games be without their tens of thousands of volunteers? They not only provide a host of invaluable services and organizational support, volunteers also create a bond between the Olympic family and the host community and thus help install the spirit of international solidarity that is so evident at the Olympic Games."