saeedahmed.com

Volunteer Profile

thomson network; 07/23/96; rbm; for: piqua
editors: news or lifestyle interest; photo accompanies this story

PINING FOR PIQUA

By SAEED AHMED

ATLANTA -- Vince Ashcraft can't wait to go home.

The Piqua resident says that although he's enjoying the experience of being a part of the Summer Olympic Games, he'd much rather luxuriate at home than put up with the myriad inconveniences he's facing in Atlanta.

``Piqua is much, much nicer," Ashcraft said. ``Atlanta is so closed in, you can't get around anywhere. It's hard to find even a Kmart here."

Ashcraft is one of more than 100 paramedics from across the nation serving as part of the medical services team at the Centennial Olympic Park. The 21-acre park is the only Olympic venue offering free entertainment and activities to visitors, and draws a crowd of 100,000-plus daily. Despite the hassles, the three-week volunteer stint is not without its rewards, the 31-year-old professional firefighter and paramedic says.

``Here, I roam around the park and when I come across a heat-related injury or some kid who's cut himself on bricks -- which is mostly the case -- I pick them up and get them to the medical tent," Ashcraft said. ``At home, when I arrive at the scene, it's already an emergency situation."

Nonetheless, Ashcraft says his stay in Atlanta has been far from comfortable.

``When we were recruited, we were told we'd be given free room and board," Ashcraft said. ``I got here Friday night and I had to rent a hotel room because they (the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games) said my room wouldn't be ready until the next day.

"For meals, we get cold meat and salads, for lunch and dinner. They're small too -- I'm a big man. They don't feed me enough."

For Ashcraft, the biggest disappointment has been the apparent lack of training sites. ``I'm an athletic man. I've been fencing for 12 years, I box and I teach judo and wrestling,'' he said. ``So, it really surprised me to see that in a city as big as Atlanta, I can't seem to find a place where I can work out in these fields."

All told, Ashcraft said he'd probably think twice if he were to do it all over again. ``There are certain areas, that I really don't want to get into, that have been very disorganized, very chaotic," he said. ``It's been this way since I applied way back in January. The only reason I kept going on is because I thought 'you've come so far, just see it through to the end.'''

Ashcraft believes the only positive thing to come out of his volunteering is that it will give his family a chance to come down and enjoy a few sporting events -- which, by the way, he's had to pay for.

``I really haven't come across any other rewards yet," Ashcraft said. ``I did get the opportunity to meet people from a wide range of cultures, but I had to pay to fly up here to do so, and I'm having to pay for the tickets.

``So, unless you consider the free Cokes and the free MARTA (Atlanta transit system) passes, the perks really haven't been all that great."