An estimated 4,000 volunteers are needed to welcome and assist delegates, visitors and media at the Republic National Convention in Milwaukee in July.
About 800 volunteers are still needed to reach that goal for the July 15-18 convention, according to the Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee.
“Things are moving along. The big thing that we are focusing on is the final push to recruit volunteers,” Host Committee Chief Operating Officer Alison Prange said.
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The committee initially stated that 6,000 volunteers would be needed, but the number has been scaled back as full-scale planning for the convention has come to fruition, Prange said. The convention is expected to draw 50,000 visitors to the Milwaukee area, including about 15,000 media members.
That total number of volunteers who have been recruited as of late this week stood at 3,300, she said.
Volunteers will welcome guests in various roles throughout the week of the convention including with operations, transportation, wayfinding and as airport and hotel greeters.
“They will be doing all kinds of things. The Host Committee’s role is to recruit them and then we partner with the Committee on Arrangements to help assign them to doing things like volunteering at hotels to welcome people, to wayfinding to providing directions around the Milwaukee area and also in outlying areas where there are hotels,” Prange said. “They also might be volunteering at the Host Committee’s welcome party and other roles.”
Volunteers must be 16 years or older. Those under 16 can volunteer if a parent or guardian signs up and volunteers with them. All volunteers must complete a background check.
“We’ve seen interest from across the region,” Prange said. “Many of them just want to have the chance to see what’s going on up close and personally.”
Shifts will take place Downtown, both inside and outside of the security perimeter, and at official convention hotels all across southeastern Wisconsin, located north to Sheboygan, south to Kenosha and Lake Geneva, west to Madison, and all communities in between.
“Volunteers are so important because it’s a way for guests outside of our area to connect with people who actually live here so they can experience what it’s like to live, work and play here,” Prange said. “The best impression you can get is from the people who live in the place you are visiting. Volunteers can make that experience happen. With the support that we have, I think the interactions will be terrific.”
Volunteers need to sign up for at least one shift, but volunteering for the entire week of the convention is an option.
“What we are seeing, which is awesome, is that people are volunteering for the whole week. We are also seeing interests from some companies who are interested in having their employees volunteer for the convention,” Prange said.
Volunteers are needed for the four days of the convention as well as they day before and likely the day after its conclusion, Prange said.
Once volunteers are approved by the committee, they will receive an email showing available shifts for which to sign up. Average volunteer shifts are four to six hours and volunteers can choose shifts based on their personal schedules.
Each volunteer will receive a shirt that identifies them in their role.
“We are working on all kinds of things to make this a great opportunity for the city and our partners across the community and also for the RNC as it brings 50,000 visitors to Milwaukee,” Prange said.
Those interested in volunteering can go to mke2024host.org/volunteers.
