Volunteers’ Cards to be granted to Kazan 2013 Volunteers

KAZAN – The presentation of the Volunteers’ Card took place in the Republican Press and Mass Communication Agency on Friday, October 26th. The card will be one of the main tools for rewarding Kazan 2013 volunteers.

The innovative MasterCard PayPass banking card with one-touch payment technology is issued by Ak Bars Bank, General Partner of the 27th Summer Universiade. The MasterCard debit card will be in use throughout several key applications, including banking, transportation and the Loyalty Programme implemented jointly with OOO Drug Companii (‘Friend of the Company’)

The presentation was attended by Chief of Staff/Advisor to the Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Larisa Sulima, Director of the Retail Business Department of Ak Bars Bank Marat Ganeev, Vice President and Director of MasterCard Market Development in Russia, Belarus and Armenia Andrey Makarov and Director General of OOO Drug Companii Albert Khuzin.

Opening the meeting, Larisa Sulima revealed good news. She said that 32,000 people have already expressed their willingness to contribute to Kazan 2013’s success through volunteering. As you know, 20,000 volunteers in total will be needed during the Games in Kazan. “Rewarding volunteers is very important for us. We want that their hard work was given a credit. Voluntary service must be prestigious,” said Larisa Sulima. 

She later named a few other means of rewarding Kazan 2013 volunteers: internships at high-profile international events and forums, uniforms, free meals and discounts for the use of public transportation. “We are especially pleased today to grant the first cards to our best volunteers,” said the Chief of Staff of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Larisa Sulima.

The card serves as a full-fledged means of payment for goods and services and public transport and offers Kazan 2013 volunteers bonuses and discounts on various services provided by the programme’s partner companies. Besides, e-tickets to the sports events of the 2013 Summer Universiade can be also loaded on the card. “It’s a unique product for Russia and we are happy that we are issuing it in collaboration with the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate. Ak Bars Bank was entrusted with the mission to take Kazan’s payment infrastructure to the new level and we are going to do it,” said Marat Ganeev in his speech. 

The Volunteer’s Card is equipped with MasterCard PayPass contactless technology and allows to make daily purchases in a convenient, secure and quick way – in one touch, without swiping or giving the card to cashiers. When making payments of up to 1,000 rubles, it is not required to enter a PIN code or sign a bill. The cards can be used everywhere where cards bearing the MasterCard PayPass logo are accepted (up to 500,000 stores in 41 countries of the world). According to Andrey Makarov, non-cash payment is very popular in Russia and, in particular, in Tatarstan. “The card that we introduce today is an innovative product and we are especially pleased that it was created for young and active people, i.e. those people who promote innovations among wider populations,” said Andrey Makarov. For his part, Albert Khuzin stressed that the new card will make the process of purchasing more perfect.

A Volunteers’ Card has an individual number and contains the full name, photo and signature of a holder on it. According to Ak Bars Bank’s representatives, the card will serve as an ID allowing to pass to Universiade venues at Games time. 

Three levels of Volunteers’ Cards will be available and each of them will offer certain bonuses and discounts under the Loyalty Programme. The level of the card depends on volunteer experience of its holder: Level 1 and Level 2 cards will be given to volunteers who have worked for 100-250 hours of voluntary service (volunteer experience is recorded in a volunteer’s passport which is valid in the entire territory of the Russian Federation). Level 3 cards are granted to the 100 best volunteers whose names will be determined under the Kazan 2013 volunteer motivation programme.

Best of the best were awarded first Volunteers’ Cards. Svetlana Belogurova, a student of the Tupolev Kazan National Research University, is the most experienced Kazan 2013 volunteer. She has 869 hours of volunteer work at high-profile sporting events that Kazan has hosted for the last two years.

Nailya Biktimirova who boasts a 34-year work experience under her belt has recently joined the volunteer movement and already contributed 163 hours of voluntary service. In September 2012 Nailya volunteered during test events for the 12th World University Rowing Championship, 4th World University Sport Shooting Championship, 5th World University Canoe Sprint Championship held under the auspices of FISU.

Albert Karpov, a student of the Lobachevsky Lyceum under Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, was also presented with a Volunteers’ Card. His volunteer experience includes 519 hours at such sporting events as the Davis Cup match, F1H20 World Championship, Russian University Beach Volleyball Championship.

The rest of Kazan 2013 volunteers, including volunteers from regional volunteer recruitment centres established at higher education institutions that partnered with the 27th Summer Universiade, will receive Volunteers’ Cards from the Volunteer Department of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate.

(Source: Kazan 2013 Media Dept.)