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The National University of San Marcos was recognized by the Special Project for the Planning and Development of the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games for its enthusiasm and ability to summon people for the Lima 2019 Volunteers Program.
This university has the highest number of people registered to participate as volunteers in the largest multi-sports event of the Americas to be held in Peru.
“This is the biggest participation of a university as a strong group in the Volunteers Program. We need 12,000 volunteers for the Pan American Games and 7000 for the Parapan American Games. Volunteers are the soul of the Games,” said Carlos Neuhaus, Lima 2019 Executive Director.
The recognition ceremony took place at the stadium of the National University of San Marcos, which was remodeled by the Organizing Committee of the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games, and delivered in March.
“We are proud to have been welcomed in this emblematic university. We were not disappointed. On the other hand, they have exceeded the expected number. The real legacy is way more than just infrastructure, it involves people and how we’re going to work as a team,” stressed the Lima 2019 executive secretary Amalia Moreno, who said that the Games will strengthen the volunteering culture in Peru.
The Volunteers Program has caught the interest of 5655 students who participated in the two Lima 2019 informative talks. Around 3000 students have already completed the face-to-face training that was held in many locations of Lima.
“The Volunteers Program aims to contribute to the success of the Games since our volunteers are the key persons to achieve great things. Only in San Marcos, around 3000 people have been trained, and to date, more than 2700 people have already received an invitation to join the Volunteers Program,”said Angela Morales, Head of the Volunteer Office.
The School of Education has the highest number of registered volunteers, with 290 members from the university community. It is followed by the School of Administration, with 235 registered volunteers and the School of Accounting with 221. There are also volunteer applicants from Economics, Industrial Engineering, Communications, Law and Psychology schools.
Orestes Cachay, president of San Marcos University, said that he is proud of receiving the recognition as representative of the university and also thanked Lima 2019 for the legacy that will remain with the remodeled stadium: “ The university community really appreciates this recognition. We have seen people on our grandstands cheering for Peru and it felt like they were also cheering for San Marcos. Lima, Peru, will host the Pan American and Parapan American Games and San Marcos will be one of the main venues thanks to the strategic alliance between both organizations.”.
Former student and current administrative worker Lourdes Castillo is among the outstanding volunteers. She came to Lima from Cajamarca, seeking a treatment for a disease that caused her to lose her left leg. That was not an obstacle for her and she stood out in the sport becoming wheelchair tennis champion in Guadalajara 2011 and eleven times national champion.
William Vargas Moreno, physical education student and coordinator of the university residence where he lives, also attended this event. Vargas, born in Chimbote, represented his school and became interregional long-distance champion. He has worked as a lion keeper at the local zoo “Parque de las Leyendas” and his dream is to finish his career to inspire other people to love sports.
Jaime Zegarra also participated as a flagship volunteer. He is a 79-year-old retired professor who dedicated his life to geological engineering, teaching and sport practice. He has four children and three grandchildren, who are very excited by his participation as a volunteer.
The functional areas of the Games Organizing Committee preferred by volunteer applicants are: Sports, with 578 registered students, Medical Services, with 226, Workforce with 179 and Venue Management with 181.
Lima 2019 signed an agreement of inter-institutional cooperation with San Marcos University in December, which positioned the Volunteers Program as one of the largest calls made in the university community.
ABOUT THE PAN AMERICAN GAMES AND PARAPAN AMERICAN GAMES
The Lima 2019 Pan American Games will welcome the 41 National Olympic Committees that comprise Panam Sports and will gather 6664 athletes taking part in 39 sports and 62 disciplines, between July 26 and August 11. Likewise, the Parapan American Games will gather 1.890 athletes participating in 17 sports and 18 disciplines, between August 23 and September 1. Lima 2019 will be a qualifying event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which guarantees the presence of the top athletes in these sport disciplines.
