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.