They've been staffing booths at the Palo Alto Chili Cook-off, approaching students and doctors and even hanging out at the local bar.

Recruiters for the 2009 National Senior Games are looking for as many as 4,000 local volunteers for the biennial event, which is the largest gathering of athletes ages 50 and older in the country.

With three weeks to go before the Aug. 1 start, the massive effort to prepare Palo Alto and surrounding communities for the two-week-long competition has garnered nearly 1,000 volunteers of all ages, organizers said.

But the effort still has a long way to go to fill the nearly 8,000 shifts, according to Bonnie Luftig, volunteer director.

"We're reaching out to high schools and college students and college alumni, and corporations. We're trying to hit up every group for more than 100 activities," she said.

Tasks range from handing out goodie bags to refereeing basketball games.

Palo Alto and Stanford University are at the nexus of the event, which is predicted to attract more than 30,000 people, including 12,500 athletes in 18 medaled and seven demonstration sports, according to Anne Cribbs, president and CEO of the local organizing committee.

The excitement is palpable in Cribbs' voice. A former Olympian, Cribbs spearheaded the effort to get the 2012 Summer Olympics to San Francisco. It didn't work out, but the Senior Games is every bit as exciting, with record breakers taking part in nearly every event, organizers said.

Banners will soon go up around town and unfurl from overpasses, but volunteers are crucial to making the event a runaway success, Cribbs said.

So far, the volunteers are exceeding expectations in their willingness to serve, signing up for three or four shifts over 15 days, though only two shifts are required, Luftig said. If the number of volunteers doesn't quite meet expectations, the most crucial events will be covered.

The overall effort involves flags, golf carts, storage, where the Santa Clara County Sheriff's deputies will be stationed, and fire- and emergency-response teams. Medical volunteers are being organized through Stanford Hospital and Palo Alto's police and fire departments, Cribbs said.

But there are the small details, too: food preparation for athletes, handing out goodie bags and directing crowds, she said.

There are perks. Volunteers get a T-shirt, hat and water bottle. Arguably, for some it could mean getting the best seats in the house.

Organizers are trying to make it painless to volunteer. There is an initial one-hour orientation followed by updates, via the Internet, prior to the Games, Cribbs said.

The only pre-event training will be intensive -- 15 to 30 minutes before each shift, she added.

Volunteer Redmond McNamara, a Palo Alto resident and high school sophomore at Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, is helping to recruit volunteers by sending out postcards and doing computer work, he said.

"It's a great way to help in the summer and get some experience. It's good for the community," said McNamara, who started in May.

During the Games, he's hoping to work the sports information booth, providing athletes with rules, he said.

People from all backgrounds are taking part, Cribbs said. Some want to add the experience to their resumes; others just like the idea of being involved in a dynamic event.

"One man said, 'I want to be around 10,000 people who are loving life.' You really have a renewed faith in the (goodness) of people," Cribbs said.

All events are free, Luftig said.

Volunteers need to register at www.2009seniorgames.org. Orientations will take place on July 18, from 9 to 10 a.m.; July 22 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.; and July 29 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.