Once more to the fore

THE epidemic swept through Sydney like the plague.

Almost 47,000 people from around the world caught it, and some are still suffering. "I have got the Olympic bug, that's what we volunteers call it," said 51-year-old assistant marketing manager Vicki Mavrofora. "It's a nice disease."

Before the Olympics, Greek-born Miss Mavrofora had never volunteered for anything. But, like thousands who applied to be volunteers in 2000, she knew there would be something special about the Sydney Games. "I have always wanted the Olympics to be in Sydney," she said.

Miss Mavrofora was stationed at Sydney International Airport, where she would greet athletes and visiting dignitaries. "It was a really big buzz, as big a buzz as I have ever had. It's something that I will never forget in my life. You have to be there to know how it feels," she said.

Veterans of the 2000 Olympics volunteer squad treasure all their memories of the Sydney Games - the friends, the pins, the lairy uniforms and the tickertape parade - and are keen to do it all over again when the Commonwealth Games come to Melbourne next year.

For Anne Lee, a Central Coast property developer, the tickertape parade was the highlight of the Games."

The most wonderful thing that ever happened to me was the parade through Sydney," Mrs Lee said. "There were people lining the streets yelling `thank you, thank you'. I still can't believe it."

Mrs Lee was never much of sports fan but the Olympics have always had a special place in her heart.

So in 1996 she volunteered with her husband Garry for the Sydney Games and became a member of the Pioneer Volunteers, the pre-Games volunteer program.

During competition, the 55-year-old worked on a drug testing station at the main stadium. "It was really busy, hard work," she said. "And it was terrific."

Mrs Lee found herself doing things she had never thought herself capable of doing. "I was pretty proud of myself, the way I did my job. I was very professional and I didn't think I had that in me."

For Phillip Murray it was a picture of the Olympic accreditation pass that "really excited" him about volunteering at the Games."

I wanted to be involved, it was probably the only opportunity in my lifetime I would have," he said.

Without hesitation the 54-year-old, a Wollongong real estate agent, volunteered for the Games in 2000."

I took two weeks off work. A lot of people said to me `how can you justify taking time off work to work?' I like to give back to the community. It's the `abundance theory'. I got back what I gave."

During the Games Mr Murray drove officials around to the various Olympic venues. He became so friendly with a group of Malaysian officials he even took them to the Blue Mountains in his spare time."

I wanted them to see more of the country," he said.

Like many other volunteers, the volunteer parade is his favourite memory. "I remember marching down the street and thinking `I've had such a good time and this is amazing'. I felt unworthy."

Peter Konnecke was so keen to be part of the Olympics that he volunteered two years before Sydney won the Games in 1991. He hit the streets with other enthusiasts to keep the community updated on the bid's progress. "It was one big party so why not do it?" said Mr Konnecke.

The night Sydney won the games - September 24, 1993 - will forever be etched in the 43-year-old webmaster's memory. "The other people with me said I couldn't stop screaming for about 15 minutes," he said.

During the Games, Mr Konnecke worked in the athletes' village as a "venue staffing assistant", sorting out any problems with the 30,000-strong village workforce. He has since volunteered for the Rugby Union World Cup, the Youth Olympics and the Royal Easter Show.

Then there is Andrew Grill, 36, someone who is not your typical Sydney Olympics volunteer. While other volunteers had high profile "meet and greet" jobs, Mr Grill, the general manager of IT company Seeker Wireless Australia, was happy to work in a cramped fluorescent-lit call centre, organising emergency services."

In a way we were never seen, we were in this back room underneath Bondi Pavilion," he said. "It allowed me to have the whole Olympic experience."

Miss Mavrofora, Mrs Lee, Mr Murray, Mr Konnecke and Mr Grill have all volunteered for the Commonwealth Games.

75,000 PUT UP THEIR HANDS IN SYDNEY

WHEN Sydney won the Olympics, 75,000 people applied to be volunteers. More than half were over 60 and three quarters were from NSW.

An initial group of 500 volunteers, known as the Pioneer Volunteers, helped with Games preparation and test events. This group alone contributed more than 160,000 hours.

Interviews for Games-time volunteers, which included a police check, began in early 1999 and job offering began in October the same year. Overall, there were 46,967 volunteers.

They were divided into specialist volunteers, with language, medical or technical skills, and general volunteers, who worked in spectator services, transport and community information.

They were not paid but the cost of uniforms, training and meals was estimated at $700 per volunteer.

Laurie Smith, who wrote a book called Living is Giving - The Volunteer Experience, said being a volunteer gave people a sense of belonging."

Friendships were made and friendships were broken," he said."

There were people that got married.

There were people who had babies.

People just loved the atmosphere."

VOLUNTEER SEARCH IS AUSTRALIA WIDE

ALTHOUGH Melbourne's Commonwealth Games volunteer assessment centre will conduct most of the applicant interviews, other volunteer assessment roadshows have been scheduled for 11 Victorian regional centres and each Australian capital city.

Why encourage volunteers from outside Melbourne? To ensure as many Australians as possible, from all walks of life, can participate in the Games.

The largest interstate roadshow will be in Sydney, from May 17-20, when around 400 candidates will be assessed.