For Immediate Release
August 25, 2004

Volunteers Help Make Olympics Successful
Fact of the Day

Volunteers are everywhere at the Olympic Games. They are assisting athletes and visitors and helping with security, logistics, and transportation. In Athens, there are more than 45,000 volunteers from across the globe. Some are first-time Olympic volunteers, including those of Greek ancestry from Canada, Australia, and the U.S., and others have volunteered at many games. Aberra Aguegnehu from Jerusalem has volunteered since the 1984 games in Los Angeles. Aberra, who speaks 12 languages and is an Ethiopian born in Jerusalem, said: "To be able to meet all these people from all over the world and practice all my languages and see the smile on their face ... that is priceless." The International Olympic Committee believes that a large part of the success of the Games is due to volunteers like Aberra.

SOURCE: International Olympic Committee.

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