By Francesca Catanese

The Super Bowl, The World Cup, Wimbledon, The World Series. These are the biggest sporting events in the world, but there is one that beats them all. 

One global event that has not millions, but billions of people tuned in, spanning all ages, ethnicities and countries. This event is none other than the Olympics.

During the 2024 Paris Olympics, we only saw what was broadcast on TV. However the planning that went into the games was much more comprehensive and required dedicated volunteers. Over 45,000 people participated in readying the city. 

As London 2012 Organising Committee Chairman Lord Sebastian Coe put it, volunteers “are the lifeblood of the Olympic Games.”

In 2028, Los Angeles will take up the mantle as the next host of the Summer Olympics, with venues spanning from Dodger Stadium to the beaches of Belmont Shore. 

One goal of the organization in charge, LA28, is to use almost exclusively existing venues, with the only temporary structures being built for skateboarding and BMX, near Lake Balboa. 

This initiative is part of a recent push for the Olympics to be more sustainable.

“The execution is distinctly Californian: relying on iconic existing venues, investing in resilience, and designing programmes that respond directly to the needs of Angelenos today,” IOC Director for Sustainability, Marie Sallois said, about the efforts of LA28 to adopt moderate, sustainable values.

This is not the first time the Olympics have been held in L.A.. In 1932, and again in 1984, the city was chosen to host the festivities. However, events such as surfing, baseball, tennis, golf, sport climbing and badminton have all since been instated as new events, making for a larger scale event than ever before.

Because of the large scale of the events, there will also be more roles to fill than ever, which is why the campaign to recruit volunteers has already begun. 

Anyone, including students, over the age of 18, is eligible to sign up for volunteering as early as now, to receive news and alerts about upcoming opportunities to aid in game preparation, which will start in the coming year.

However, the bulk of the behind the scenes work happens during the games themselves, and LA28 also offers the opportunity for community members to participate in the festivities directly. According to the International Olympic Committee, volunteers can be involved in anything from “customer service, press and communications, health services [and] technology” to “protocol and languages, transport, opening and closing ceremonies [and] sports events.”

By bringing these opportunities to Angelenos at large, LA28 “aims to build on local initiatives that are already underway” LA28 Vice President of Sustainability, Becky Dale said, “and help amplify their impact.” By investing back into the city, organizers are ensuring that locals reap the benefits.

Interested? Go to la28.org/volunteer to find out more.