O Come, All Ye Playful

2012 Polk Senior Games

It’s time to request an entry book to enter the 20th Anniversary Polk Senior Games scheduled for February 25 – March 12, 2012. The Games offer a two-week series of 90 athletic and recreational Olympic-style events. They attract over 2,600 men and women, 50 and over, with a variety of skills - the serious competitor, the fun at heart, the seasoned athlete, the late bloomer, and the physically challenged. The purpose of the Games is to promote friendly competition, fellowship, health and wellness, an active lifestyle, and volunteerism.

Competition, held at various locations throughout Polk County, is offered in Badminton, Basketball Shooting, Basketball 3 on 3, Billiards, Bocce, Bowling, Bridge, Checkers, Chess, Cribbage, Ballroom and Social Dancing, Square Dancing, Darts, Euchre, Field Events, Fishing, Fly Casting, Golf - 18 Hole and Putt & Chip, Horseshoes, Lawn Bowling, Pepper, Pickleball, Powerlifting, Punt Pass Kick, Racquetball, Road Race 5K, Scrabble, Senior Smarts, Shooting – Skeet and Trap, Shuffleboard, Softball, Sudoku, Swimming, Table Tennis, Talent Show, Tennis, Track, and Walking. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded in each event and age division.

Registration begins the first week of January. The individual entry fee is $10 for the first event and $3 for each additional event up to a maximum of $28. Fees for team sports are $125 for Softball and $50 for Basketball 3 on 3. There is also a $25 facility fee for 18-Hole Golf, a $3.50 facility fee per event for Bowling, and a $5 range fee for Skeet and Trap Shooting. Everyone receives a specially designed T-shirt. A free Closing Celebration for participants, family and friends is held at The Lakeland Center and includes goody bags, health fair, entertainment, special awards, and door prizes.

Polk Senior Games was founded in 1992 by Nancye Thornberry of Lakeland who was inspired by her 70-year old brother competing at the National Senior Games in Syracuse, NY. With the support of the Polk County community, the Games began in 1992 with 777 entrants. Polk Senior Games has grown to be one of the largest senior games in the country with 2,647 competitors in 2011.

The Games are financially sponsored by Gold and Founding Sponsor - Publix Super Markets Charities; Bronze Sponsors - James W. Sikes Family and CPS Investment Advisors. Special Event Sponsors are: Track and Opening Ceremony – Winter Haven Hospital; and Closing Celebration – The Estates At Carpenters. Event Sponsors are Badminton – Baylis and Company PA; Basketball Shooting – Lake Wales Medical Center; Basketball 3 on 3 – The Dee Oeters Family; Billiards – Magnify Credit Union; Bocce – Family Physicians Group; Bowling – Central Florida Eye Associates; Bridge - Spring Haven Retirement; Checkers – Mosaic Phosphates; Chess – Jim and June Barry; Cribbage – Flamingo Homecare; Ballroom & Social Dancing – CenterState Bank; Darts – Palm Terrace of Lakeland; Euchre – Floral Lakes Seniors; Field Events – Southland Suites and Clare Bridge at Lakeland, Brookdale Senior Living; Fishing – B&B Taxidermy; Fly Casting – Andy Thornal Company and Clark, Campbell, Mawhinney & Lancaster, PA; Golf 18 Hole – CenterState Bank; Golf, Putt & Chip – Bethany Christian Church; Horseshoes – Eye Specialists of Mid Florida; Lawn Bowling – Lois Harrison and Homer Hooks; Pepper – Emeritus at Lakeland/ Emeritus at Oakbridge; Pickleball – Solivita Homes / Avatar Properties; Punt Pass Kick – The Bruce Bear Family; Racquetball – The Grace Page Family; 5K Road Race – Meusers of Floral Lakes; Scrabble – The Thornberry Family; Senior Smarts – Gus & Lisa Palas, Palas Group, LLC; Shooting, Skeet & Trap – Jim Williams Fence Company; Shuffleboard – Universal Health Care; Softball – Ira Serebrin and Rudy Gittens; Sudoku – The Sarah McKay Fund through the Community Foundaiton of Greater Lakeland; Swimming – Dr Nick Waslyn, American Chiropractic / Highland MRI ; Table Tennis – Vascular Vein Centers; Talent Show – Susan Prevatt & Teresa Argenbright in memory of their mother, Mary Jo Smith; Tennis – Wells Fargo; Walking – Physicians United Plan.

Polk Senior Games is sanctioned by the Florida Sports Foundation to qualify participants for advancement to the annual Florida State Senior Games Championship, which leads to the bi-annual National Senior Games.

To request an entry or for more information contact Deena Wilbur, Executive Director, Polk Senior Games, 515 E Boulevard St, Bartow, FL 33830, 863-533-0055, or polkseniorgames@verizon.net.

2012 Schedule of Events
Saturday, February 25
9:00 AM Opening Ceremony, Lake Region High School Stadium, Eagle Lake
9:30 AM Track, Lake Region High School Stadium, Eagle Lake
9:00 AM Softball, Southwest Complex or Westside Complex, Lakeland
9:00 AM Powerlifting, All American Gym, Lakeland
1:00 PM Swimming, Lakeland Family YMCA, Lakeland
Sunday, February 26
9:00 AM Softball, Southwest Complex or Westside Complex, Lakeland (if needed)
9:00 AM Swimming, Lakeland Family YMCA, Lakeland
Monday, February 27
8:00 AM Tennis Singles begins, Beerman Family Tennis Center, Lakeland
9:00 AM Putt & Chip, Women, Highland Fairways, Lakeland
9:00 AM Shuffleboard, Men’s Singles, Lake Parker Park, Lakeland
1:00 PM Putt & Chip, Men, Highland Fairways, Lakeland
1:30 PM Square Dancing, Lake Ashton Clubhouse, Lake Wales
Tuesday, February 28
8:00 AM Tennis Doubles begins, Beerman Family Tennis Center, Lakeland
9:00 AM Fly Casting, Veteran’s Park (Edgewood Dr), Lakeland
9:00 AM Shuffleboard, Women’s Singles, Lake Parker Park, Lakeland
1:00 PM Checkers, Spring Haven Retirement, Winter Haven
Wednesday, February 29
8:00 AM Tennis, Beerman Family Tennis Center, Lakeland
8:47 AM Cribbage Doubles, Auburndale Civic Center, Auburndale
9:00 AM Shuffleboard, Doubles, Lake Parker Park, Lakeland
1:00 PM Trap Shooting, Lakeland Rifle and Pistol Club, Lakeland
1:07 PM Cribbage Singles, Auburndale Civic Center, Auburndale
2:00 PM Talent Show, Annie Pfieffer Chapel, Florida Southern College,
Thursday, March 1
8:00 AM Tennis Mixed Doubles begins, Beerman Family Tennis Center, Lakeland
8:30 AM Fishing, Tenoroc Fish Management Area Derby Lake, Lakeland
9:00 AM Lawn Bowling Mixed/Ladies Pairs, Lake Parker Park, Lakeland
1:00 PM Punt, Pass and Kick, Bartow High School Stadium, Bartow
Friday, March 2
8:00 AM Tennis, Beerman Family Tennis Center, Lakeland
9:00 AM Bocce, Age Groups 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 75-79 and over, Carefree
9:00 AM Duplicate Bridge, Winter Haven Bridge Center, Winter Haven
1:00 PM Bocce, Age Groups 65-69 and 70-74, Carefree Country Club, W Haven
2:00 PM Party Bridge, Winter Haven Bridge Center, Winter Haven
Saturday, March 3
9:00 AM Field Events, Bartow High School Stadium, Bartow
9:00 AM Basketball 3 on 3, Simpson Park Community Center, Lakeland
2:00 PM Social and Ballroom Dancing, Lakeland Harbor Mobile Park, Lakeland
Sunday, March 4
2:00 PM Euchre, Bartow Civic Center, Bartow
Monday, March 5
8:30 AM Golf, Women, Willowbrook Golf Course, Winter Haven
9:00 AM Table Tennis, Haines City Community Center, Haines City
9:00 AM Billiards 8 Ball, Men ages 60-79, Wally’s Billiards, Lakeland
1:00 PM Billiards 8 Ball, All Women, Men ages 50-59, 80 & over, Wally’s Billiards,
2:00 PM Sudoku, Schalamar Clubhouse, Lakeland
Tuesday, March 6
8:30 AM Golf, Men Ages 65-74, Willowbrook Golf Course, Winter Haven
9:00 AM Pickleball Women’s Doubles, Solivita, Poinciana
9:00 AM Billiards 9 Ball, Men ages 60-79, Wally’s Billiards, Lakeland
Noon Pickleball Men’s Doubles, Solivita, Poinciana
1:00 PM Billiards 9 Ball, All Women, Men ages 50-59, 80 & over, Wally’s Billiards, Lakeland
1:30 PM Golf, Men Ages 50-64, 75 and over, Willowbrook Golf Course, Winter Haven
2:00 PM Pepper, Sanlan Ranch Campground, Lakeland
Wednesday, March 7
9:00 AM Bowling, Men Singles, AMF Lakeland Lanes, Lakeland
9:00 AM Pickleball Singles, Solivita, Poinciana
9:00 AM Basketball Shooting, Albert Kirkland Gym, Lake Wales
1:00 PM Bowling, Women Singles, AMF Lakeland Lanes, Lakeland
1:00 PM Pickleball Mixed Doubles, Solivita, Poinciana
1:00 PM Skeet Shooting, Lakeland Rifle & Pistol Club, Lakeland
Thursday, March 8
9:00 AM Horseshoes, Rotary Park, Winter Haven
9:00 AM Bowling, Women Doubles, AMF Lakeland Lanes, Lakeland
9:00 AM Racquetball, Lakeland Family YMCA, Lakeland
1:00 PM Bowling, Men Doubles, AMF Lakeland Lanes, Lakeland
1:00 PM Chess, The Estates At Carpenters Auditorium, Lakeland
Friday, March 9
9:00 AM Badminton, Kelly Recreation Center, Lakeland
9:00 AM Bowling, Mixed Doubles, AMF Lakeland Lanes, Lakeland
9:00 AM Scrabble, Mulberry Civic Center, Mulberry
1:30 PM Darts, Medulla Baptist Church, Lakeland
Saturday, March 10
8:30 AM Road Race 5K, Bartow High School Stadium, Bartow
10:00 AM Walking 5000 Meter, Bartow High School Stadium
11:30 AM Walking 1500 Meter, Bartow High School Stadium, Bartow
Sunday, March 11
1:30 PM Senior Smarts, First Baptist Church, Bartow
Monday, March 12
12:30 PM Health Fair, Youkey Theatre, The Lakeland Center
2:00 PM Closing Celebration, Youkey Theatre, The Lakeland Center