By Rory Carroll
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Los Angeles 2028 on Thursday launched a volunteer program that invites residents to sign up for community service events ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with details on Games-time roles to come in 2026.
LA28 says the early start is designed to build a volunteer culture well before the Opening Ceremony and expand the region's volunteer base. Residents can register their interest at LA28.org.
LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover told Reuters the program aims to harness
the city's "spirit of volunteerism" well before the Opening Ceremony, positioning Los Angeles as a model for future hosts.
GIVING BACK
Seeing how LA residents came together to support one another in the wake of the January wildfires that devastated the region served as an inspiration for the program, Hoover said.
"We all just took a pause and said we want people to think about us as not just an organizing committee but also as a civic organization that is giving back to the community," he said.
"By doing a volunteer program now, bringing people together, it shows that our commitment to resiliency, our commitment to giving back to our communities, and the commitment of all of us to help our neighbors when they're in need."
He said the volunteers at the Paris Games last year left a lasting impression on him.
"They were the first people you saw at the airport," he said.
"They were on every street corner. They were at every metro stop. They were at every venue. They were always happy."
LA28 expects to recruit more volunteers than the 45,000 that were on hand in Paris.
"These are the biggest Games in the history of the Olympic movement, so we will need more than that, probably between 50,000 and 75,000," Hoover said.
He added that early participation in the program "will certainly be taken into consideration" when Games-time recruitment begins.
City leaders, including Mayor Karen Bass, framed the effort as part of broader civic engagement tied to the 2028 Games.
DELTA SPONSORSHIP
Delta Air Lines, a founding partner of LA28, is the presenting sponsor of the volunteer program and will help launch and sustain the effort.
"Delta is proud to stand alongside LA28 to launch a volunteer program that reflects the heart of Los Angeles and the spirit of service that defines our people," said Alicia Tillman, Delta's chief marketing officer.
Organizers said registered volunteers will receive email invitations to specific events matched to their location and interests.
The rollout follows pilot events in October with Shine LA and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, after LA28 staff participated in more than 100 community activities since the city won hosting rights in 2017.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
