Today was my 2nd last day in Whistler and the last day as a Volunteer. It has been an incredible experience and a time that I will always remember.
This morning I drove a young Luger from Romania into the Village for last minute shopping. He was a very articulate and thankful young man and told me how all of the Lugers were a close knit group. He was a friend of Georgian Luger Nodar and was very appreciative of how John Furlong and VANOC handled the tragedy of Nodar's death at both the Opening and Closing ceremonies.
Here is the web link to a great article in the March 1, 2010 L.A. Times http://bit.ly/ddQZ1S
The L.A. Times article reiterated why I volunteered for these Games and how appreciative the visitors have been to us. After reading the article this morning it really made me think ...Why did I do this? ...My simplest answer, would be that it was the Canadian thing to do. But honestly, I think it was ingrained in my DNA. Both of my parents certainly taught me the importance of giving and helping others. They have been great role models for me and why I think that Volunteering should be a very important part of our lives. My Mother has always had their door open to friends and family and once inside, she feels compelled to feed them and surround them in kindness. If they can't get to visit her, she takes her show on the road! My father on the other hand has always been a tireless volunteer, whether it was the PTA, Scouts, Kiwanis or coaching and now he sits on the board of their Condo Corporation. The message I've learned from both of them is that "it is better to give than to receive". While this may be an overused phrase, it is something that I truly believe in. I hope that I have been a good student and that I can make as much of a difference as my parents have.
So what's my next volunteer venture? I have never been involved in politics, but when I heard that Rocco Rossi would be running for Mayor of Toronto, I knew that it was something that I wanted to get involved with. I have known Rocco for several years. He is a brilliant man, that understands what the city needs and has a plan to bring Toronto into the 21st Century. I believe that we will see a truly great election race. Watch for my upcoming Blog about this exciting election.
And I'm not giving up on the Olympics. I will be thinking about returning as a volunteer for both London 2012 and Sochi 2014 ...the journey has just begun.
P.S. I will try to download some pictures and post them in the next day or so.
sent from my BlackBerry device
Best regards,
Greg
M 416-347-1545
The Olys must be way better than politics. Thanks for these updates Greg - I have loved em. Rog
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