When the 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games come to Lincoln in July, so will thousands of people and millions of dollars in revenue.

Games organizers believe the summer event could bring in more than $40 million for the city of Lincoln, giving restaurants and hotels a much-needed boost.

But all these people heading to Lincoln requires thousands of volunteers to pull off a successful week.

The problem? Only half of the 8,000 volunteers needed have signed up.

Nearly 30,000 people are expected to converge on the Capital City for a week in July. That means big bucks for businesses and the city.

Jeff Maul, of the Lincoln Convention & Visitor's Bureau, says, "An event of this magnitude that brings $40 million in economic impact is one that we've been looking for for a long time."

Hotels are already reporting big numbers for the month of July.

Steve Hilton, General Manager of the Embassy Suites in Lincoln, says, "Basically we're pretty well sold out."

And preparing for success is the name of the game.

Hotels are working together to make sure everyone has an enjoyable experience, but more importantly, a place to stay.

Hilton adds, "That's the real message, that we're a giving community, we really take care of people, we care about people and that's a good trademark of Lincoln and I think that really showcases what we're all about in this town."

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is also providing big support for the city. The Lincoln branch has promised 1,000 volunteers for the games.

Jeff Cogswell, of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, says, "We've got 35 different chapters around the state of Nebraska and so we've gotten them involved helping to plan at a local level to get volunteers recruited for the event."

Sarah Leeth, of the Special Olympics 2010 USA National Games, says, "That's a huge number and those folks will come from across the state so there's recruiting happening not only here in the local community with those companies, service groups, within the schools even but it's really got a lot of reach across the state and even regionally."

Only about 4,000 volunteers have committed, so organizers are actively searching for more. And with a successful event riding on that number, reaching 8,000 is a top priority.

If you'd like to become a volunteer, click on the link below.

The link will take you to the volunteer page of the 2010 USA National Games.