Arnold Puts (left) and Councillor Alan Gordon were two of more than 15,000 people to volunteer at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.By Sarah Schwager
TWO Noble Park residents took time out of their busy lives to volunteer at the Commonwealth Games over the last two weeks.
Springvale North Ward councillor Alan Gordon decided to hang up his cloak for a couple of weeks to be security and work at the information desk at the MCG.
The idea came from his neighbour, Arnold Puts, who had volunteered at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Mr Puts volunteered at the Commonwealth Games as a technical director, umpiring at the table tennis.
The two men have been doing long hours in their respective roles.
Cr Gordon said he had been getting up at 4 or 5am to get to the MCG by 7am.
“It’s really been exciting, meeting people. It’s been long hours out there,” he said.
Mr Puts was put up at the Mercure Hotel in the city to deal with his long hours.
He has international accreditation as an umpire, and plays table tennis twice a week locally.
Cr Gordon said the atmosphere on the security gates had been great and the crowd had been fantastic.
“Victorians have embraced the Games,” he said. “There’s been so much excitement around Melbourne.”
Cr Gordon took two weeks off from his job and worked around his councillor duties.
He said he had been given a couple of tickets to various events but had given them all away to his ward residents.
“A lot of people don’t get the opportunity or can’t afford to go and I wanted everyone to be a part of it.”
Cr Gordon did go to the closing ceremony with his wife though, one of the few days that he was not volunteering.
