Winter Universiade 2021 organisers seek 3,800 volunteers
LUCERNE — Starting today, sports aficionados and aspiring sports management professionals can register on the Swiss Volunteers platform to volunteer at the Winter Universiade 2021. The Organising Committee seeks 3,800 volunteers for hosting the 11-day event that takes place with 10 sport disciplines in Central Switzerland and Lenzerheide from 21-31 January 2021.
“Volunteers are the public face of the Winter Universiade 2021 and will ensure that visitors from around the globe feel at home,” said Lucerne 2021 Managing Director Urs Hunkeler.
To ensure that the premiere winter university multi-sport event runs smoothly with the highest standard of operations, the Organising Committee is providing the volunteer opportunity and training for accepted candidates.
“A sports event of this magnitude depends on the commitment of the volunteers,” Hunkeler added. “It simply wouldn’t be possible to carry out without them.”
The Organising Committee values Swiss volunteers as an experienced recruitment partner. From today, all those interested in volunteering can register on the Swiss Volunteers platform.
For further information, check out the volunteer section of the event’s website.
“We have exciting jobs for everyone, from looking after teams and reporting on competitions, or for forerunning the courses,” said Giuliana Schmid, the project manager in charge of volunteers.
Help will be required before, during and after the event, both in the host city of Lucerne and at the various competition venues.
The Winter Universiade’s return to Switzerland sees the ten sport discipline event taking place at seven iconic setting in and around the mountains of Central Switzerland and Lenzerheide
Group registration for clubs
As the world’s largest winter sporting event for students, the aim is to attract lots of student volunteers. To this end, universities in Central Switzerland and the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons are supporting the Lucerne 2021 organiser’s volunteer recruitment efforts.
“We are also extremely grateful that we can count on help from sports clubs,” Hunkeler said. “We’re very pleased that many of them have already agreed to assist us.”
Groups and clubs can register as a block. When tasks are assigned, the organisers will take care to ensure club members are kept together.
Volunteering offers unforgettable experiences
Downtown Lucerne will be transformed into the hub and the heart of the 30th Winter Universiade as Switzerland hosts its first Universiade since Villars held the event in 1962
“The many volunteers can expect unforgettable experiences and a unique behind-the-scenes look at a major event,” said Schmid, who has helped organise the renowned Nordic ski festival International Gommerlauf for many years.
A winter sports enthusiast herself, Schmid knows what helpers especially like: “Talking to visitors from abroad is extremely enriching, and working alongside volunteers from completely different backgrounds is fun and educational,” Schmid said. “Such events always generate countless friendships, as well as great memories.”
All those volunteers who commit to working on at least five days will get a very special memento: They will be able to keep their valuable Winter Universiade 2021 uniform from OCHSNER SPORT as a souvenir. As the public face of the Winter Universiade 2021, the volunteers will also ensure that all visitors to this multi-sport event will remember it for a very long time.
Swiss Volunteers is a partner of the Winter Universiade 2021
The Winter Universiade can count on Swiss Volunteers as an experienced partner to assist it in recruiting the 3,800 volunteers required. The non-profit organisation has been a centre of excellence for volunteering for the past 15 years, with its platform supporting about 100 sports competitions a year, including the world’s largest multi-sport event for students.
“In addition to helping with administration, we will support the Winter Universiade with recruitment using the 60,000 people registered on our platform,” says Swiss Volunteers Managing Director Mark Wirz. “Having already worked with the UEFA EURO 2008 tournament and the two Ice Hockey World Championships, collaboration with this multi-sport event will give Swiss Volunteers yet another opportunity to prove itself on the national and international stage.”
More on Lucerne’s hosting of the Winter Universiade’s 30th edition
The Winter Universiade is the largest winter multi-sport event after the Olympic Games. In 2021 the 30th occasion of this unique event will take place in Central Switzerland and Lenzerheide. The organisation is a joint project of the six cantons of Central Switzerland Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zug, and the City of Lucerne.
The competition programme runs from 21 to 31 January 2021 and comprises ten sporting disciplines contested at seven competition venues. Over 2,500 individuals representing more than 540 universities in 50 competing countries are expected to take part.
Switzerland has experience hosting premiere sports events, including holding the Winter Universiade in Villars in 1962
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