The Special Olympics World Games have found a fan community: With 50,000 spectators at the opening ceremony and 330,000 visitors, the event exceeded all expectations. Right in the middle of it all: 100 REWE Group volunteers and one athlete.
For eight days, our corporate volunteers ran onto the pitch with the handball teams, handed out water or called paramedics in the event of injuries. They accompanied the handball players right up to the award ceremony and celebrated with the athletes.
Julius Dietrich from the REWE supermarket in Lehrte, who competed for Germany in tennis, came fifth in the unified mixed event with his sister Marlene and fourth in the singles. "It's like a little gold medal for me," said the 23-year-old. Placement ultimately plays a subordinate role at the Special Olympics. All athletes are honoured. The Specialy Olympics is about people coming together, doing sport together, learning from sport and being cheered on for their impressive achievements. Being there really is everything. And here our volunteers were at the start, cheering on the teams and barely knowing how to put their enthusiasm for this inclusive event into words. Nevertheless, we asked some of them:
"Cheer and celebrate"
Kenan Elmas, REWE store manager in Singen: "I think it was a mega experience for all of us. The organisers did a great job and I always felt involved - also because it was really easy to meet up after our volunteer assignments and do something together.
The games were incredibly emotional. It was wonderful to watch the handball players and a pleasure to be there. I would recommend it to anyone and would always be there myself.
On the day of the award ceremony, we accompanied the teams to the podium. I had a real tingling feeling in my stomach, a positive tension, because it was just so much fun to support the teams and to see how they supported and cheered each other on and celebrated until the very end.
We then went to the inclusive picnic organised by REWE and Aktion Mensch in the pouring rain. We were determined to support the event despite the weather - even if that meant we ended up completely soaked."
"Everyone was dancing"
Lina Scholand's parents are REWE retailers and run a store in Mülheim/Ruhr: "I was there for the last three days of the Special Olympics and accompanied the handball teams on stage for the award ceremony. I loved the joy, the togetherness and the enthusiasm. From everyone, the athletes, the volunteers and the organising team. My highlight was certainly the winners' ceremony, or even better, what happened afterwards: everyone, really everyone, was suddenly dancing together in the hall, clapping their hands and hugging each other. Nobody was standing in the corner, nobody was just watching. I had goose bumps."
"Consideration taken"
André Günther, Assistant Market Manager, Berlin: "The consideration that all the Special Olympics teams showed for each other was impressive. The athletes looked at the level of play of the other teams. And accordingly, they didn't throw the balls so hard, for example."
"Would do it again in a heartbeat"
Andrea Zwirnlein, Service Manager, REWE in Geesthacht: "If something happened, an own goal for example, they hugged and comforted the person to whom it had happened. And in the middle of the game. I would do it again in a heartbeat."
"Pure joy"
Kathrin Burchert, Category Manager, REWE Dortmund: "I found the pure joy of the athletes so great. I also thought it was great to meet colleagues from so many different parts of Germany."
"Harmonious togetherness"
Sven Hasper, master electrician Wilhelm Brandenburg: "I'm also privately involved in a sports club that has sections with inclusion work. What you see at the Special Olympics is the harvest of what I do. You have to involve a broad base so that an event like the one in Berlin can take place. And it wasn't a hype event. It's good to bring inclusion into society in this way so that everyone can see how it can bear fruit.
Our group was very harmonious. We got to know each other quickly and learnt a lot about each other's work in between.
One of our tasks was to prepare the award ceremony. We set up the podium and rehearsed the choreography for the entrance into the hall. Of course, everything had to be just right, because the most important goal was to give the athletes a great time.
A big compliment also goes to the organisers. The preparation was very good, both on the part of REWE Group and the Special Olympics training courses."
"A large community"
Lucas Dams, Purchasing Assistant REWE Group Buying: It was a very emotional experience. Unfortunately, we didn't have that much contact with the athletes at the beginning of our volunteering because we were preparing the winners' ceremony. But then it was all the more intense. My job was to make sure that the honoured guests handed out the right medals to the athletes at the award ceremony.
During the waiting times, we always created a good atmosphere together and celebrated the athletes who had finally been rewarded for their achievements.
It's amazing how much an event like this brings people together. We quickly got on very well, travelled to the handball hall together in the morning and explored Berlin together after the competitions. It was a completely mixed team of colleagues from the stores, the warehouse and the administrative locations. There were trainees and older employees. But in the end, we were one big community."
