© dpa
By the end of January, more than the 20,000 required people had already registered as volunteer helpers for this year's Special Olympics World Games in Berlin.
This was announced by th organizers on Thursday. 4500 applicants are from Berlin, 8500 from the rest of Germany and 9000 from abroad.
"The fact that so many people are willing to support us on a voluntary basis is anamazing, positive signal," said Sven Albrecht, managing director of the Local Organizing Committee and Special Olympics Germany. 7000 athletes are expected in Berlin for the World Games for people with intellectual disabilities. They will compete in 26 disciplines. The Special Olympics World Games will take place from June 17 to 25 and is the largest multisport event in Germany after the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.