The Canada Games are fortunate to have had incredible volunteers at every edition of the Games over our 60 year history.

At the St. John’s 2025 Canada Games last summer, the married duo of Debbie and Dave Shortall shared a Paul Flaherty Volunteer Appreciation Award for their dedication as Village Leads, after receiving several nominations from athletes, mission staff, and Host Society staff – a full-circle moment after seeing how much work went into the 2019 Games, where their son had a memorable experience competing in hockey.

For Dave, his favourite memory from 2025 is from before competition even began. While the last-minute scramble to make a few beds may sound stressful, it led to a moment he’ll never forget. One bed belonged to a Special Olympics athlete from Team Québec, whose small gesture made a big impact.

“‘Do you mind if I help you,’ she said. I responded and said that I would love for her to help me,” Dave said. “I walked out of the room when completed and started to fill up with tears as it was that moment that I realized all my work over the last two years preparing for the Games was worth it.”

An interaction with athletes also topped Debbie’s list of memorable moments. After finishing one task, and with a rare few minutes without something urgent to attend to, Debbie offered a quick ride across campus to three athletes, who turned out to be medallists in swimming for Team Ontario.

“They stopped dead, looked at each other in silence and disbelief, looked around – stunned they were. Then I said again, ‘Well, are ya comin’?’”

Being a former Canada Games athlete herself, Debbie said that this short trip ended up being the best part of the Games for her.

“Before I dropped them off, each of the boys took their medals out of their cases and put them around my neck,” she said. “I was beyond impressed. I was so caught up in the moment, so many emotions flooded through me.”

While pride in their province and a desire to give back to the sport community that helped shape their family contributed to their eagerness to volunteer, the married couple turned to each other throughout the long days, and even longer nights.

“The thing, or should I say, the person that motivated me the most was Dave,” Debbie said. “I dragged Dave into being my second, and he never flinched or once said, ‘No thanks.’ He was all-in.”

“If we were going to be all-in, we were going to be all-in together,” Dave said. “Doing this as a husband-and-wife team worked so great, as it allowed us to be 100% focused on the village for the 18 days of the Games.”

With the dust settled, and sleep recovered, the Shortalls seem to have no less passion now than when they enthusiastically accepted their volunteer positions, with even more perspective.

“Being a part of the Games Services Committee was a two-year commitment for us, and I don’t regret one second of that time,” Dave said. “The members of the committee started out as mostly strangers to me, and now, without exception, they are friends.”

“The more involved you are, the better appreciation you feel and understand,” Debbie said. “It's about giving back and making sure that the athletes of today, will be our athletes, olympians, and paralympians for the future.”

If you’re considering volunteering at the Québec 2027 Canada Winter Games or the Moncton - Saint John 2029 Canada Summer Games, Dave has a simple message for you: “Just do it!”