Phillips pays it forward
Serving as the chair of volunteer services for the 2021 Canada Summer Games in Niagara is an opportunity for Carol Phillips to pay it forward.
As Canada celebrates National Volunteer week April 19 to 25, Phillips reflects on her role with the Games.
“Sports and recreation have been a massive part of my life and it is probably responsible for most things in my life and that’s how I got involved,” said the associate dean of community services at Niagara College. “I recognize that I am grateful for all the opportunities that have been presented to me through recreation and sport. It was a really easy decision to jump on board.”
She recalls jokingly asking Games board member David Veres, who she worked and taught with at Niagara College, if she was going to get any swag.
Her sports and recreation background includes: her present job; serving as the coordinator and a faculty member with Niagara College’s recreation and leisure services/recreation therapy; being on the executive committee in Welland for Ontario Special Olympics; coaching basketball for many years; obtaining a recreation and leisure degree from Brock; obtaining a post graduate diploma in therapeutic recreation from Georgian College; and, playing basketball and softball in her teens.
In her personal life, she is married to former Brock varsity wrestler Jeff Phillips.
“Sports and recreation are all entwined in my entire life.”
In her role as chair of volunteer services, Phillips is in the process of making sure every venue has enough volunteers to effectively run the events.
It is early on in the process.
“We have assigned the lead positions into each of the venues,” the Laura Secord alumnus said. “The short-term focus is some of the test events but the longer-term focus will be making sure the venues have the capacity they need.
Phillips, who was born in Quebec but has spent the past 50 years as a resident of St. Catharines, estimates upwards of 5,000 volunteers will be required to make the Games run smoothly.
“I think there are about 1,000 people who have already reached out and showed their desire,” she said. “Lots of people are showing interest and we are recording those names now. I know it is growing exponentially.”
Phillips is obviously a big proponent of volunteering for the Games.
“The people I am connecting with and meeting are extraordinarily community-minded people and I think, in terms of their professional and community development, I would encourage them to share in the excitement in this,” she said. “I think they will be forever changed, much like the community will be forever changed.”
She has been excited to work through the process and can’t wait to see the legacies left behind by the 2021 Games.
“It is important to have the facilities legacy, but I really think it’s the human legacy: the skills that will be learned by people; the connections people make; and, the personal growth that will come from being involved is where I lean more heavily.”
