Sports fans are ready for Boxing Day, and it’s not because of any big sales at sporting goods stores. Dec. 26 is day one of the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships, to be held jointly in Edmonton and Calgary.
Organizers are predicting attendance in excess of 475,000 people. There will be hundreds of players and coaches coming to Alberta from 10 countries representing North America and Europe. All of those people need a veritable army of helpers to keep things co-ordinated during the 11-day event.
That’s why organizers called St. Albert’s Glynis Thomas to recruit and manage the 500 volunteers required to make the event happen. For the past three years Thomas has chaired the committee that has overseen the recruitment, training and scheduling of all of the volunteer positions.
“They called me because they were aware of my previous experiences with managing volunteers for world events,” said the executive director of St. Albert’s Community Information and Volunteer Centre (CIVC). “They were looking for someone who had that background and ability to do that.”
During her 23 years at the helm of the CIVC, Thomas has managed volunteer teams or been involved in a vital capacity for several major events, including the St. Albert 2011 Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games, the 2009 World Masters Games, the 2007 Western Canada Summer Games and the 2001 World Track and Field Championships.
The collaborative effort for these games didn’t happen overnight either. She has been involved since the very beginning, when the decision was made to award the games to Edmonton and Calgary.
“When a position like this comes up, where you have a chance to work with volunteers on a daily basis and the opportunity to manage different events, to have volunteers with you that are going to be a part of something and together you make something better out of it, truly I have the best job possible.”
Pat Phelan knows just how committed Thomas is. Phelan is the CIVC’s director of volunteer centre services and together, they have been behind the scenes of numerous large-scale volunteer efforts.
“It’s pretty cool that Hockey Canada came after Glynis. I don’t think there’s anybody more experienced in this sector. I guess her reputation precedes her. She really does know what she’s doing. It’s not unusual for centres right across this country to come to her for advice and mentorship. There’s no better.”
She added that having the CIVC manage the world junior volunteers in Edmonton is a feather in the organization’s cap.
“It’s amazing that they came to her but it’s not surprising,” Phelan said.
Thomas is ready for day one of the action. The games start on Monday, with Team Canada playing Team Finland at Rexall Place starting at 1:30 p.m. The preliminary rounds end on Saturday, Dec. 31, with the winners going on to the quarter-final rounds on Jan. 2, 2012.
“The world is watching,” she said. “We’re excited because we feel we are going to do the best world junior championships ever.”
