RNC meets its volunteer goal

XCel Energy Center
XCel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul is the site for the Republican National Convention Sept. 1-4. Organizers say they have reached their goal of signing up 10,000 volunteers for the event.
MPR photo/Tom Weber

Organizers say they have reached their goal of recruiting 10,000 volunteers to help during the upcoming Republican National Convention.

Officials with the local host committee say there's still room for more. Volunteer director Kjersti Duncan says people who are signing up understand the St. Paul event will be on the worldwide stage.

"After the Olympics, it's the next big thing. So you have to think Beijing is the hot spot in the world this year, but so is Minneapolis-St. Paul," said Duncan. "If we can welcome the world here and they have a good first impression, they'll continue to come back and understand that Minnesota's a great place to live and to work and to play."

Duncan says people from all 50 states have volunteered for duties such as greeting visitors at the airport to providing information at the hotels. The deadline to sign up is tomorrow.

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