Iowa Special Olympics didn’t run into a problem gathering volunteers for its annual summer games in Ames this week, but will this be the case for the Amateur Athletic Union’s 2004 Junior Olympic Games this summer?

Organizers of the national AAU competition say the effort to organize 2,500 volunteers by July 1 is going as planned, even though the number of filled time slots right now is low.

“You can do a lot of recruiting up to this point, but people aren’t going to sign up until they know their summer plans,” said Brian Becker, director of operations for the 2004 AAU games. “Between now and July, we’re going to get all our sign-ups.”

The Greater Des Moines Sports Authority, the local organizing body for the 2004 games in Des Moines, is getting in a big push for volunteers now, targeting schools and teachers before summer dismissal.

“We have a great need to fill daytime slots,” Becker said. “Teachers may, potentially, have a little bit more time on their hands in the summertime, so that’s a target audience that we want to hit in the next couple of weeks.”

Bob Utter, executive director of the 2004 AAU Junior Olympic Games, said organizers of the AAU games are counting on Greater Des Moines companies and organizations to “step up to the plate” to help make this national event, with its projected $25 million economic impact to the area, a success.

“When we work with a company, they can sort of design how they want to use their volunteers,” Utter said. “Most companies want to keep their employees working together to make it a team-building experience.”

Wade Den Hartog, marketing director of the 2004 games, said sponsors of the games are expressing a range of ways in which they want to be involved. Athletes will compete in 23 facilities across Greater Des Moines, creating opportunities for ticket-taking, selling merchandise, ushering and hospitality.

“Communications Data Services (Inc.) wanted to do the flag football area for a day,” said Den Hartog. “Some companies like to take on a specific sport, while others, like the East Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, wants to work a specific venue such as the Grand View College stadium.”

Principal Financial Group Inc. is involved as the sponsor of the opeinging ceremonies for the games on Aug. 4. Principal will provide 100-150 volunteers for the event, which will be held at Sec Taylor Stadium, and it is also contributing $75,000 toward the ceremonies, Den Hartog said.

The AAU games haven’t been in Des Moines since 1995, but the city has since gained a spot on a five-year rotation, which will bring the games back to Des Moines in 2009. Utter said that compared with the other selected host sites for the games, which are New Orleans, Detroit, Knoxville, Tenn. and Hampton Roads, Va., Des Moines has qualities that make it an ideal location.

“Number one, we do a great job in running it,” Utter said. “Being the smallest city that holds it, there’s really big advantage in a city our size with the ease of traveling from venue to venue.”

Becker also said another advantage of Des Moines’ size is that people take ownership in the city and seem more willing to volunteer their time.

“An athlete feels special when they come to Des Moines,” Becker said. “When you go to some of these larger cities, there’s a lot of stuff going on, but when you come here, you get a lot more coverage.”

Utter said he hopes that Des Moines area residents will take pride in the games and be ready to welcome the event back in five years.

“This is a unique event,” Utter said. “These kids are really good, and some may go on to be on Olympic teams.”