Olympic, Paralympic volunteer applicants reach 620,000

The oath-taking rally

BEIJING, September 4) -- To date, the number of volunteer applicants for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games has exceeded 620,000, while that of the city's has reached over 410,000.

And some 600 volunteers gathered Tuesday to pledge their whole-hearted services to people with a disability and the 13th Paralympic Games at an oath-taking rally. They also witnessed the unveiling of the Beijing Sports Vocational Training Center for the Disabled, a 10-hectare multifunctional complex with facilities and services for athletes with a disability.

Over 7,000 volunteers from local universities and organizations took part in the volunteer services during last month's pre-Games competitions. Meanwhile, nearly 33,000 city volunteers at 150 volunteer service stations provided info, first-aid and language translation services for the public.