The recruitment of volunteers for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and
Paralympic Games has seen an overwhelming response since it was
launched on August 28.
According to the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee (BOCOG),
by Thursday afternoon, more than 150,000 people in Beijing had
registered to be volunteers, including more than 120,000 university
students applying through the campus recruitment offices. The rest
handed in applications through websites and local youth
organizations.
Meanwhile, the Beijing Olympic Call Center had received more
than 580,000 phone inquiries, including 192 from overseas.
A total of 70,000 volunteers will be needed for the Olympic
Games, and another 30,000 for the Paralympic Games. The majority of
the volunteers will be recruited from universities in Beijing, with
rest coming from other parts of the country and abroad.
(Xinhua News Agency September 9, 2006)
