REGISTRATION FOR 2012 POLK SENIOR GAMES BEGINS

Registration for the 20th Anniversary Polk Senior Games begins January 3. The Games, scheduled for February 25 – March 12, 2012, offer a two-week series of 95 Olympic-style events in 37 athletic and recreational sports. 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.

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 on Monday, March 12 and includes goody bags, health fair, special awards, door prizes and entertainment from the Talent Show.

Polk Senior Games are sponsored by Gold and Founding Sponsor – Publix Super Markets Charities; Bronze Sponsors – James W. Sikes Family and CPS Investment Advisors, CPAs. Special Event Sponsors are: Track and Opening Ceremony – Winter Haven Hospital; and Closing Celebration – The Estates At Carpenters. Event Sponsors: Badminton – Baylis and Company PA CPAS; 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 Company; 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 of Lakeland, Brookdale Senior Living; Fishing – B&B Taxidermy; Fly Casting – Andy Thornal Company / Clark, Campbell, Mawhinney and Lancaster PA; Golf 18 Hole – CenterState Bank; Golf, Putt & Chip – Bethany Christian Church; Horseshoes – Eye Specialists of Mid Florida; Lawn Bowling – Lois Cowles Harrison & 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 – The Meusers of Floral Lakes; Scrabble – The Thornberry Family; Senior Smarts – Gus & Lisa Palas, The Palas Group; Shooting, Skeet & Trap – Jim Williams Fence Company; Shuffleboard – Universal Health Care; Softball – Ira Serebrin & Rudy Gittens; Sudoku – Sarah D. McKay Fund within the Community Foundaiton of Greater Lakeland; Swimming – Dr Nick Waslyn, American Chiropractic/Highland MRI; Table Tennis – Vascular Vein Centers; Talent Show – Susan Prevatt and Teresa Argenbright, in memory of their mother, Mary Jo Smith; Tennis – Wells Fargo; Walking – Physicians United Plan. Spirit of the Games sponsors are: Community Southern Bank.

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 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.