Samaritan member to officiate at London Olympics

A Samaritan Ministries member who has refereed volleyball games at three Olympics will officiate at indoor events one last time this summer in London.

Patricia “Patty” Salvatore of Ohio is one of two U.S. referees appointed by the International Volleyball Federation to officiate at the London Games, which will begin July 25, reports USA Volleyball. Also appointed was Dan Apol, who will officiate beach volleyball.

We featured Patty in a Member Spotlight in the December 2008 edition of the Samaritan Ministries Christian Health Care Newsletter.

“I speak as openly as possible,” Patty said then of her international opportunities to relate the Gospel. “I lead people to the Bible. I tell them there’s a book that has all the answers.”

She’s has plenty of those Olympic opportunities. Patty was part of the beach volleyball referee crew in 1996 at the Atlanta Games, then began serving internationally at indoor tournaments. She was an indoor volleyball ref also at the 2004 Olympics in Greece—including the gold medal match—and at the 2008 Games in China.

Patty plans to retire from international refereeing at the end of 2012.

Congratulations on a great career to Patty. We also hope she’ll have opportunities to share her faith in London later this month.