Volunteers Needed for 2010 Paralympics Opening, Closing Ceremonies

Author: Ian C. Langtree - View Credentials
Published: 15 Sep 2009

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Overview - Related Content

Synopsis

Organizers of 2010 Paralympic Winter Games call for 5,000 volunteers for opening and closing ceremonies.

Overview

Organizers of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games have put out a call for 5,000 volunteers for the opening and closing ceremonies.

Anyone over the age of six can apply via the Games website and auditions will begin in October, with rehearsals starting in January.

The opening ceremonies for the Paralympics are at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium but the closing ceremonies will take place in Whistler, B.C, which is hosting the bulk of the Paralympic events.

Organizers are hoping to draw many volunteers from the Sea-to-Sky region but the process is open to everyone, said ceremonies producer Patrick Roberge.

While some roles require some skill, others just call for enthusiasm.

"There's some roles that require you to move a giant prop or manipulate different pieces of scenery and things of that nature," said Roberge, who has assembled a 15-member creative team to design and stage the shows.

"We also have roles that require you to just get out and participate and cheer on the athletes, so it's really the whole spectrum of different performance skill sets."

Performers from outside B.C. will be responsible for their own transportation and accommodation costs. The deadline for applying is Oct. 9.

The ceremonies are being produced by BC-based Patrick Roberge Productions.

Tickets to the ceremonies range in price from $30 to $175 and will be placed back on sale later this year.

The 2010 Paralympic Winter Games begin March 12 2010

Further Information on Volunteering for 2010 Paralympics

Author Credentials: Ian C. Langtree is a writer, editor, and the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, which he established in 2004 as one of the longest-running independent resources for disability news and information. Over more than two decades, he has written and edited thousands of articles on disability rights, health, accessibility, and assistive technology. Drawing on a global perspective shaped by extensive travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed advocate of the Social Model of Disability, the framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that focuses on removing societal barriers rather than on individual impairments. His writing is grounded in that framework and in a lasting commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.