On Thursday, December 5, Saint Lucia joined the international community to celebrate World Volunteer Day. This annual observance highlights the work of individuals who make a difference in their communities without pay, simply out of a love for helping humanity.
In Saint Lucia, these selfless individuals play a crucial role in both national and international events, particularly those of a sporting nature.
Volunteers are involved in every aspect of these occasions, from ticketing to serving food and beverages, all driven by the desire to contribute and assist. The participants themselves also benefit from these initiatives, as they are given opportunities for skill development, experience, networking and mentorship opportunities.
Volunteer Saint Lucia, the island’s official volunteer organisation, actually had its origins in sports events. The organisation was established as part of preparations for the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean. Volunteers are integral to the success of sporting events of this magnitude and are used worldwide for major events like the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and the Commonwealth Games.
During the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Saint Lucian volunteers were highly praised for their dedication by both local and international officials. Martha Eugene, President of the Gros Islet Chapter of Volunteer Saint Lucia and one of the organization’s earliest members, notes that her team’s experience at the tournament served as a springboard for further volunteer participation in future events.
“Coming out of World Cup Cricket 2007 has kept us united and has helped us expand our services. We began reaching out to different communities to offer services like feeding the less fortunate, providing meals for the elderly, organizing cleanup campaigns, and managing protocol at events,” she said.
Eugene encourages youth to remain involved in such efforts to elevate events of national importance.
“We have brought together many young people from different parts of the island and from other countries as well,” she said. “Young people should engage in initiatives like these. Let’s come together to give back our time to our country, without expecting anything in return—just a smile, helping hands, love, and sharing.”
Since this initial tournament, volunteers have played key roles in other sports events, including the Caribbean Premier League and the 2024 T20 Cricket World Cup. This initiative continues to thrive thanks to the hard work and dedication of young people who continue to join the movement.
Shaun Alcindor, Operations Officer for the Saint Lucia Cricket Association highlighted this significance, stating:
“In the Caribbean we have a small economy, so it is very difficult for us as a sporting organization to be able to pay for all of the staff that is needed to work an event. So this is where the volunteers come in and thanks to their hard work we’re able to provide international level activities and sporting events in Saint Lucia.”
The volunteers also came in for praise from Ersher Delauney-Daniel, Operations Manager for the CPL Champion Saint Lucia Kings.
“From my point of view volunteers are an equally important part of the flow of the tournaments. I am always hearing that this part is more important than the other but I truly believe that without every single aspect/area/job description that the flow and production could never be realised in the successful manner that materializes. For me, the job of a volunteer can never be trivialized and I cannot stress enough how lucky I feel to work with them in every tournament.”
The achievements of this integral group of citizens will be honored at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Evening, set to take place on Saturday, December 7th.
