O, Come All Ye PLAYFUL It’s time to request an entry book to enter the 21st Annual Polk Senior Games scheduled for February 23– March 11, 2013. The Games offer a two-week series of 90 athletic and recreational Olympic-style events. They attract over 2,500 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 Archery, Badminton, Basketball Shooting, Basketball 3 on 3, Billiards, Bocce, Bowling, Bridge - Party, 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 – Rifle, Skeet and Trap, Shuffleboard, Softball, Sudoku, Swimming, Table Tennis, 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 Archery and 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 2,540 competitors in 2012. 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. Hospitality Sponsor is A BJ Brock Estate Sale, LLC. Event Sponsors are Archery – Southern Archery Outfitters and K-T Pharmacy; 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 – Friends of Bridge - Carolyn,Chris, Chryssie, Gretchen, Lois, Marilyn, Pat, Sheryll, and Westsie; Checkers – Spring Haven Retirement; Chess – Jim and June Barry/Dr Nick Waslyn, American Chiropractic; Cribbage – Better Living for Seniors; Ballroom & Social Dancing – CenterState Bank; Darts – Palm Terrace of Lakeland; Euchre – Floral Lakes Seniors; Fishing – B&B Taxidermy; Fly Casting – Andy Thornal Company and Clark, Campbell, & 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 / AV Homes; 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 – Hot Wachula’s Smokehouse; Rifle Shooting – AAM; Skeet Shooting – Jim Williams Fence Company; Shuffleboard – Universal Health Care; Softball – Ira Serebrin and Rudy Gittens; Sudoku – The Sarah McKay Fund through the Community Foundation of Greater Lakeland; Swimming – Heacock Insurance Group; Tennis – Wells Fargo; Walking – Physicians United Plan. Friedns of the Games Sponsor is Margaret and Dick Cheney. Spirit of the Games Sponsor is Community Southern Bank. There are hundreds of other in-kind and financial contributors to the Games 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. 2013 Polk Senior Games Schedule of Events Saturday, February 23 9:00 AM Opening Ceremony, All Saints Academy, Winter Haven 9:20 AM Track, All Saints Academy, Winter Haven 9:00 AM Softball, Southwest Complex or Westside Complex, Lakeland 9:00 AM Powerlifting, Debs Gym, Lakeland 1:00 PM Swimming, Lakeland Family YMCA, Lakeland Sunday, February 24 9:00 AM Softball, Southwest Complex or Westside Complex, Lakeland (if needed) 9:00 AM Swimming, Lakeland Family YMCA, Lakeland 1:30 PM Senior Smarts, First Baptist Church, Bartow Monday, February 25 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 26 8:00 AM Tennis Doubles begins, Beerman Family Tennis Center, Lakeland 9:00 AM Shuffleboard, Women’s Singles, Lake Parker Park, Lakeland 9:00 AM Horseshoes, Rotary Park, Winter Haven 2:00 PM Checkers, Spring Haven Retirement, Winter Haven Wednesday, February 27 8:00 AM Tennis, Beerman Family Tennis Center, Lakeland 8:47 AM Cribbage Doubles, Auburndale Civic Center, Auburndale 9:00 AM Basketball Shooting, Albert Kirkland Gym, Lake Wales 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 Thursday, February 28 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 1:00 PM Rifle Shooting, Lakeland Rifle and Pistol Club Friday, March 1 8:00 AM Tennis, Beerman Family Tennis Center, Lakeland 9:00 AM Archery, Central Florida Archers, Fort Meade 9:00 AM Bocce, Age Groups 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 75-79 & over, Carefree Country Club 1:00 PM Bocce, Age Groups 65-69 and 70-74, Carefree Country Club, W Haven 1:00 PM Party Bridge, Sanlan Ranch RV Park. Lakeland Saturday, March 2 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 3 2:00 PM Euchre, Bartow Civic Center, Bartow Monday, March 4 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 5 8:30 AM Men’s Golf Ages 65-74, Schalamar Creek, Lakeland 9:00 AM Pickleball Women’s Doubles, Solivita, Poinciana 9:00 AM Billiards 9 Ball, Men ages 60-79, Wally’s Billiards, Lakeland 1:00 PM Pickleball Men’s Doubles, Solivita, Poinciana 1:30 PM Men’s Golf, Ages 50-64, 75 and over, Schalamar Creek, Lakeland 1:00 PM Billiards 9 Ball, All Women, Men ages 50-59, 80 & over, Wally’s Billiards 1:00 PM Pepper, Sanlan Ranch Campground, Lakeland Wednesday, March 6 9:00 AM Bowling, Men Singles, AMF Lakeland Lanes, Lakeland 9:00 AM Pickleball Mixed Doubles, Solivita, Poinciana 1:00 PM Bowling, Women Singles, AMF Lakeland Lanes, Lakeland 1:00 PM Skeet Shooting, Lakeland Rifle & Pistol Club, Lakeland 1:00 PM Chess, The Estates At Carpenters Auditorium, Lakeland Thursday, March 7 8:30 AM Golf, Women, Schalamar Creek, Lakeland 9:00 AM Bowling, Women Doubles, AMF Lakeland Lanes, Lakeland 9:00 AM Racquetball, Lakeland Family YMCA, Lakeland 9:00 AM Fly Casting, Veteran’s Park (Edgewood Dr), Lakeland 1:00 PM Bowling, Men Doubles, AMF Lakeland Lanes, Lakeland Friday, March 8 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 9 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 10 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS Monday, March 11 12:30 PM Health Fair, Youkey Theatre, The Lakeland Center 2:00 PM Closing Celebration, Youkey Theatre, The Lakeland Center