It only took one newspaper article to convince Carolyn Greene to volunteer at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Greene, who graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law and moved to New York City, made monthly visits to her parent’s home in Lexington.

“I read all of the papers when I come home,” Greene said. “I saw an article in the Herald-Leader about volunteering and decided right then to volunteer.”

In January, Greene was laid off from her job in New York City and relocated to Lexington. She began volunteering during Kentucky Cup Reining, the first test event for the 2010 Games. After that she was hooked, and came back for every test event.

Greene has also worked every position available for volunteers. She has been an usher/greeter, worked at volunteer check-in, driven a golf cart, and worked in event services. Greene is now a full-time volunteer, working with Event Services and recruitment.

“After working for 40 years it was the first opportunity I had to take a break,” Greene said. “But in the meantime I wanted to keep busy; I see this as a way of doing that and it is expanding my network.”

Volunteering is sometimes hard because of other time commitments, but for Greene, volunteering provided her with an opportunity to have fun and make connections that could benefit her in the future. Not only that, Greene made new friends.

“You see people you have volunteered with and you become like a family,” Greene said. “I know volunteers on the competition side now, WEG staff, and this creates a much larger network.”

Melissa Gamble, volunteer services manager at the World Games 2010 Foundation, has watched volunteers like Greene work together and enjoy themselves at test events and other functions. Gamble’s office walls are already like a scrapbook of those experiences.

“This is my favorite part,” Gamble said glancing at photos. “I love working with the volunteers, everyone laughs at me because I take it so personal, but I have learned that you have to take care of your volunteers for them to come back. At the meetings it is like a reunion. They develop friendships… just look at them.”

So far, Gamble has organized around 300 general volunteers for WEG events. After volunteers sign up in the general volunteer pool, Gamble and other staff members contact them and help identify what job they are interested in and best suited for. Because up to 10,000 volunteers will be needed during the 2010 Games, Gamble’s and now Greene’s main focus is to encourage more people to volunteer.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Greene said. “They will never get closer to an event of this magnitude, they will get to experience different cultures, and it is going to be fun. Fun with a capital f-u-n.”

For Greene, her time volunteering has also been an educational experience. Aside from horseracing, Greene knew little about horse competition. But she knew she could make a contribution regardless of her horse experience, and has since become familiar with several disciplines competing in the Games.

“No experience is necessary,” Gamble said “Just pride for the state and Kentucky hospitality.”

Although a volunteer is giving service without pay, to those who have tried it, like Greene, it is something more; the opportunity to help others, meet new people and be a part of a special experience.