Lawmakers hear from Olympic organizers for the first time since Utah got the 2034 Winter Games

SALT LAKE CITY — The opening ceremonies of the 2034 Winter Games are still 3,102 days away, but many Utahns are already eager to sign up as volunteers.

"People are excited and rightfully so," Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, said Thursday during the first meeting of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Coordination Committee since Utah was awarded a second Games more than a year ago.

McKell, the committee's Senate chairman, said he "hears from folks on a regular basis that want to volunteer, want to be involved" but isn't sure what to tell them other than to be patient. "The public wants to know ... how do they get involved in the Olympics?"

Brad Wilson, the CEO of the private nonprofit Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, said it's going to be years before the call for Games-time volunteers goes out.

But he had some advice for people who want to be selected.

"We'll probably have 100,000 people ask to be volunteers," Wilson said, nearly twice as many as applied for the 25,000 unpaid positions available at the 2002 Winter Games, where volunteers were hailed as "champions."

He said organizers are already starting to tell people that this time around, they'll be looking "for people that have a resume of being volunteers. So if (you) want to volunteer for the Games, go volunteer in your communities now."

A former House speaker, Wilson told the committee that realistically, volunteers won't be identified by the organizing committee until 2032 or 2033, although there may be a chance to preregister online as soon as early next year.

"It's very unsatisfying when we tell people that, that it's that far away. But it's the reality of the time frame," he said, suggesting that in the meantime, they check out volunteer opportunities at sporting events held at Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation-run facilities to get experience.

Related:

Technical volunteers needed in preparation for Utah's 2034 Games

There's a way for Utahns to start volunteering in Olympics sports now that may just provide a leg up for one of those coveted volunteer positions when the Games come back to Utah in 2034.

Who pays for another Olympics in Utah?

Another member of the legislative committee, Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake, had questions about what Olympic organizers are doing to make sure the public understands there's no taxpayer funds in the $4 billion budget for staging the Games.

"These are difficult times in some of the economics of many of our families, and there may be a misconception that we're going to be utilizing a lot of state funds for all this," Escamilla said, asking if organizers had plans to help the public track the budget.

"Our budget is public, and there is not a line item from the state, just to be clear," Fraser Bullock, the organizing committee's president and executive chairman, said. "As we spend against that, there will be reporting to our board, to the finance and audit committee, and to the public."

He agreed the public needs a better understanding of the Games finances.

Organizers expect to raise all of the money needed to host in 2034 from private sources, largely the sale of broadcast rights, sponsorships and tickets. Bullock said ticket prices will be like a barbell, weighted to be either very affordable or very expensive.

"That's how we pay for the Games," he said of the "high-end" hospitality packages, including the best seats at Olympic events, that will be offered in 2034. "That's how we have no taxpayer money involved in this."

At the same time, there's a commitment to sell 34,000 tickets priced at $34 each, Bullock said, adding they will mostly be for events at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. He said talks are underway with a charitable organization to buy tickets for economically disadvantaged children.

Of course, it will be years before organizers can tap many sources of revenue because the U.S. is hosting another Olympics, the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. That means Utah organizers have to wait to solicit sponsors to avoid competing with their California counterparts.

So until the LA Games are over, Utah organizers are relying on donations to cover their costs.

Wilson told the committee that so far, close to $150 million of what is now a $300 million goal for contributions has been raised. In May, organizers announced the amount needed from private donors had nearly doubled as a hedge against financial uncertainty.

"The goal is to remain pretty small for a while," Wilson said, describing organizers as being in "a holding pattern" until after the 2028 Games, dependent "on the good graces of the philanthropic community of the state of Utah."

Youth involvement in the 2034 Games

Organizers also talked about working with local groups to involve more Utah youth in sport activities at Games venues like the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns. "We like to outsource everything we can," Bullock said.

In the next few years, Wilson said the hope is to have programs rolled out to schools throughout Utah, so "every kid in this state feels like they've been a part" of getting ready to host another Olympics.

No action was taken by the legislative committee.

After the meeting, the committee's House chairman, Rep. Jon Hawkins, R-Pleasant Grove, said the information from organizers was "really good. It looks like they've made a lot of progress in getting things up and running, and outlining a pretty good path to success for the 2034 Games."

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