RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- The organizers of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and Paralympics are recruiting 70,000 volunteers for the games that begin in less than two years.
Rio organizers opened the recruitment program on Thursday, looking for 45,000 people for the Olympics and 25,000 for the Paralympics.
Organizers will recruit from abroad as well as in Brazil.
The unpaid volunteers have traditionally provided a savings of millions to organizers. The operating budget for the Rio Games is about $3 billion, which is for running the event itself and does not include infrastructure.
Overall, Rio de Janeiro is expected to spend about $20 billion in the run-up to the games, a mix of public and private money.
Organizers said in a statement that volunteers were expected to handle 500 different functions. Organizers will offer online English courses to those who register, and those selected will receive additional language training.
Volunteers receive a uniform, food and transportation on the days they work. The age minimum is 18, and there is no age maximum.
Registration can be done on the website www.rio2016.com.
"Opportunities are available for a diverse range of skills and characteristics," organizers said in a statement. "Some functions require knowledge and specific skills, which will be performed by specialist volunteers in the areas of sport, medical services, technology and languages."
