O COME ALL YE PLAYFUL

It’s time to request an entry book to enter the 23rd Annual Polk Senior Games scheduled for February 28 – March 16, 2015. The Games offer a two-week series of 100 athletic and recreational Olympic-style events. They attract nearly 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, Bag Toss (cornhole), 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 Singles & Mixed Doubles (NEW) and Putt & Chip, Horseshoes, Lawn Bowling, Pepper, Pickleball, Powerlifting, Punt Pass Kick, Racquetball, Road Race 5K, Scrabble, Senior Smarts, Shooting – Rifle, Skeet, Sporting Clays (NEW) 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 facility fee for 18-Hole Golf, Bowling, 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. The Games are financially sponsored by Gold and Founding Sponsor - Publix Super Markets Charities; Bronze Sponsors - James W. Sikes Family, CPS Investment Advisors and Watkins Associated Industries. Special Event Sponsors are: Track and Opening Ceremony – Winter Haven Hospital and Closing Celebration – The Estates At Carpenters. Hospitality Sponsors are A BJ Brock Estate Sale, Grace Manor Assisted Living, WellMed Network of Florida, Gold’s Gym, WellCare Health Plans and Assurance HomeCare. Event Sponsors are Archery – Southern Archery Outfitters; Badminton – Baylis and Company PA; Bag Toss – Kenneth Mundy Family Dentistry; Basketball Shooting – Lake Wales Medical Center; Basketball 3 on 3 – The Dee Oeters Family; Bocce – Thomas’ English Muffins; Bowling – Homer Instead; Bridge – Florida Presbyterian Homes; Checkers – Spring Haven Retirement; Chess – NEED; Cribbage – Better Living for Seniors; Ballroom & Social Dancing – CenterState Bank; Darts – Palm Terrace of Lakeland; Euchre – Floral Lakes Seniors; Field Events – Lake Morton Plaza; Fishing – Comfort Keepers; Fly Casting – Andy Thornal Company; Golf 18 Hole Singles – CenterState Bank; Golf, 18 Hole Mixed Doubles – Bartow Community Healthcare Foundation; Golf, Putt & Chip – The Hanna Family; Horseshoes – Eye Specialists of Mid Florida; Lawn Bowling – NEED; Pepper – Emeritus at Lakeland/ Emeritus at Oakbridge; Pickleball – AAM, LLC; Punt Pass Kick – The Bruce Bear Family; Racquetball – The Grace Page Family; 5K Road Race – Paul Meuser; Scrabble – The Thornberry Family; Senior Smarts – Gus & Lisa Palas; Rifle Shooting – Lakeland Rifle & Pistol Club; Skeet Shooting – Williams Fence Company; Sporting Clays Shooting – Shoot Straight Lakeland: Trap Shooting – Tri-Tech Mechanical ; Shuffleboard – Magnify Credit Union; Softball – Ira Serebrin and Rudy Gittens; Sudoku – The Sarah McKay Fund through the GiveWell Community Foundation; Swimming – Central Florida Eye Associates; Table Tennis – Simply Healthcare; Tennis – Wells Fargo; Walking – Foot & Ankle Associates. Friends of the Games Sponsors are Senior Connection Center and Arbor Hills Independent Living Residence Spirit of the Games Sponsors are Community Southern Bank, Mail Processing, Lakeland Rifle & Pistol Club, Nurse on Call and Southern Homes. There are also hundreds of other financial and in-kind contributors to the Games. Polk Senior Games is sanctioned by the Florida Sports Foundation to qualify participants for advancement to the annual Florida Senior Games, 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.