LIMA 2019 PRAISED THE WORK OF OVER 11,000 VOLUNTEERS

The 11,310 Pan American Games volunteers were praised at the Closing Ceremony of the most important sports event in the continent and before over 50,000 spectators at the National Stadium. 

The President of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee Carlos Neuhaus handed out a cuchimilco figurine to five volunteers of the Pan American Games, as a symbolic recognition for their unique and invaluable contribution to the Games. 

The volunteers who received this recognition were: Martha Navarro Gómez (age 60 from San Juan de Lurigancho), Angélica García Vera (age 16), Juan Carlos Mina Flores (age 33 from Chosica), Juan Fernando Morales (Colombian), and Ancelmo Chauca Pérez (age 66 from Puente Piedra). 

During the closing speech, Neuhaus thanked the work of all volunteers during these 17 days of Games. 

“To our volunteers, thank you.  You’ve made us proud,” he highlighted. 

A video was played at the ceremony, showing the work of volunteers in the different areas such as press, sports, athlete services, medical services, anti-doping, protocol, medal ceremonies, among others. 

Sixty per cent of volunteers are women and 40% are men, most of them aged between 18 and 24 (7,469 volunteers) and 647 senior citizens.  

For the Volunteer Program, 28,000 people were trained in different locations, such as Lima, Huacho, Cañete, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Cajamarca, Huancayo, Tacna, Arequipa, Cusco, Tarapoto, Ica, and Pisco. 

It is important to say that the Lima 2019 volunteers received 20 hours of training prior to the development of their activities during the Games. Volunteers worked nine hours a day at more than 20 venues, helping over 6,687 athletes and 600,000 attendees. 

Lima 2019 Volunteer Program marked a historic milestone in our countries and in the culture of volunteering, as the biggest ever undertaken in Peru.