September 1, 2008
Vancouver, BC – With the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games barely past, already the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games loom on our horizon.
The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) for the 2010 Winter Games manages all Olympics volunteers. While VANOC collected names of volunteers through their central website, Dr. Christopher Zed, associate dean of UBC Dentistry, and Dr. Mark Parhar were busy motivating prospective dental volunteers. “Now that VANOC’s central volunteer signup is closed, we will be receiving their list of potential dental volunteers for the 30 to 40 volunteers needed,” Zed says.
Guided by lessons learned from Beijing 2008 and from the International Olympic Committee, Zed and his group will focus next on developing the dental treatment protocols and the physical plans (layout, equipment and supplies) for the two polyclinics.
Zed anticipates that the polyclinics, located in the Vancouver and Whistler Villages, will be ready early in 2010, well in advance of the February 12 opening of the Games. The volunteer team, once selected, will be assembled some time in late fall 2008.