Some Vancouver Olympics volunteers and performers are being criticized online for selling free tickets they received for next week’s Opening Ceremonies dress rehearsals.
The tickets, given by VANOC to volunteers and to those performing at the ceremonies, are being sold for as much as $300 on Craigslist.
Olympic volunteers are entitled to one free ticket each to the Feb. 8 or Feb. 10 events, with the option to buy one additional ticket each for $50 for a family member or friend. Opening Ceremony performers also receive free tickets.
The dress rehearsal is a dry-run of the soldout Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 12.
In previous correspondence to volunteers, organizers indicated that it would be reasonable for them to give their ticket to a relative or friend if they could not attend.
But the tickets are still being sold online, which is infuriating some.
“Opening Ceremonies dress-rehearsal tickets are given for free to volunteers … Shame on those selling them for hundreds of dollars,” said one irate poster on Craigslist.
“As a performer we were given five tix for free,” wrote another poster at the website. “I would not buy them for some of the prices (people) are asking.”
The scalping of free tickets also came under fire at a Facebook forum devoted to the 2010 Opening Ceremonies dress rehearsal frequented by volunteers.
“I think it is absolutely disgusting that there are volunteers selling their dress-rehearsal tickets on Craigslist for a profit, and not only is it disgusting, it is against VANOC’s policy,” wrote one forum member. “Where is your Olympic Spirit?”
VANOC did not responded to Metro’s request for comment by publication time.
