O, Come All Ye PLAYFUL

It’s time to request an entry book to enter the 24th Annual Polk Senior Games scheduled for February 27 – March 14, 2016. 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  and Putt & Chip, Horseshoes, Lawn Bowling, Pepper, Pickleball, Powerlifting, Punt Pass Kick, Racquetball, Road Race 5K, Scrabble, Senior Smarts, Shooting – Rifle, Skeet, Sporting Clays 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; Silver Sponsor - Watkins Associated Industries; Bronze Sponsors - James W. Sikes Family, CPS Investment Advisors. 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, Assurance HomeCare, Comfort Keepers, Care Plus Health Plans. Event Sponsors are Archery – Southern Archery Outfitters; Badminton – need; Bag Toss – Home Instead Senior Care, Lakeland; Basketball Shooting – Lake Wales Medical Center; Basketball 3 on 3 – The Dee Oeters Family; Billiards – need; Bocce – Thomas’ English Muffins; Bowling – Home Instead Senior Care, Lakeland;  Bridge – Florida Presbyterian Homes; Checkers – need; 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 – need; Fly Casting – Andy Thornal Company; Golf 18 Hole Singles – CenterState Bank; Golf, 18 Hole Mixed Doubles – Bartow Community Healthcare Foundation; Golf, Putt & Chip – In Memory of the Hanna Family; Horseshoes – Eye Specialists of Mid Florida; Lawn Bowling – need; Pepper – need; Pickleball – AAM, LLC; Powerlifting – Highland Park Dental; 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 – Janey & Larry Powell; Square Dancing – Molina Health Plans; Sudoku – The Sarah McKay Fund through the GiveWell Community Foundation; Swimming – Central Florida Eye Associates; Table Tennis – Simply Healthcare; Tennis – Wells Fargo; Track – Winter Haven Hospital; Walking – Foot & Ankle Associates. Friends of the Games Sponsors are Senior Connection Center, Southern Homes, Arbor Hills Independent Living Residence, Nurse on Call Home Health. Spirit of the Games Sponsors are Mail Processing, Jim and June Barry, Dick and Margaret Cheney, Rudy and Camilla Gittens, Baker Industries Aluminum. 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.

2016 Polk Senior Games Schedule                                        
Saturday, February 27
8:00 AM       Softball, Southwest or Westside Complex

9:00 AM       Powerlifting, Debs Gym, Lakeland

9:00 AM       Opening Ceremony, All Saints Academy
9:20 AM       Track, All Saints Academy, Winter Haven
2:00 PM       Dancing, Schalamar Creek Golf & Country Club

                     
Sunday, February 28
8:00 AM       Softball, (if needed)

2:00 PM       Senior Smarts, TBA Church, Lakeland

Monday, February 29
8:00 AM       Tennis Singles, Beerman Tennis Center
9:00 AM       Putt & Chip, Women, Highland Fairways, Lakeland
9:00 AM       Shuffleboard, Men’s Singles, Lake Parker
1:00 PM       Putt & Chip, Men, Highland Fairways, Lakeland

1:30 PM       Square Dancing, Lake Ashton Clubhouse

Tuesday, March 1
8:00 AM       Tennis Doubles, Beerman Tennis Center

8:30 AM       Mixed Doubles Golf, Schalamar Creek Golf

9:00 AM       Shuffleboard, Women’s Singles, Lake Parker Park

9:00 AM       Horseshoes, Rotary Park, Winter Haven

2:00 PM       Checkers, Spring Haven Retirement

Wednesday, March 2
8:00 AM       Tennis Doubles, Beerman Family Tennis Center
9:00 AM       Cribbage Doubles, Auburndale Civic

9:00 AM       Basketball Shooting, Kirkland Gym, L W
9:00 AM       Shuffleboard, Doubles, Lake Parker P   
1:00 PM       Trap Shooting, Lakeland Rifle and Pistol
1:00 PM       Cribbage Singles, Auburndale Civic

Thursday, March 3
8:00 AM       Tennis Mixed Doubles, Beerman Center

8:30 AM       Fishing, Tenoroc Fish Management Area
9:00 AM       Lawn Bowling, Lake Parker Park, Lakeland
1:00 PM       Punt, Pass and Kick, Bartow High School

1:00 PM       Rifle Shooting, Lakeland Rifle and Pistol

Friday, March 4
8:00 AM       Tennis, Beerman Family Tennis Center,

9:00 AM       Bocce, 50-64, 75+, Carefree Country Club, WH

1:00 PM       Bocce, 65-74, Carefree Country Club, W Haven

1:00 PM       Party Bridge, Sanlan Ranch RV Park

Saturday, March 5
9:00 AM       Field Events, Bartow High School Stadium
9:00 AM       Basketball 3 on 3, Simpson Park Community
1:00 PM       Swimming, Lakeland Family YMCA

1:00 PM       Chess, The Estates At Carpenters, Lakeland

Sunday, March 6   
9:00 AM       Swimming, Lakeland Family YMCA

2:00 PM       Euchre, Bartow Civic Center

Monday, March 7
9:00 AM       Table Tennis, Haines City Community
9:00 AM       Billiards 8 Ball, Men ages 60-79, Wally’s Billiards
1:00 PM       Sudoku, Schalamar Creek Clubhouse, Lakeland

2:00 PM       Billiards 8 Ball, All Women, Men 50-59 and 80+

Tuesday, March 8
9:00 AM       Pickleball Doubles, Solivita
9:00 AM       Billiards 9 Ball, Men ages 60-79, Wally’s Billiards

9:00 AM       Bag Toss (Cornhole), Kelly Recreation Center
1:00 PM       Pepper, Sanlan RV Park, Lakeland

1:00 PM       Billiards 9 Ball, All Women, Men 50-59 and 80+

Wednesday, March 9
9:00 AM       Bowling, Women Singles, AMF Lakeland Lanes

9:00 AM       Pickleball Mixed Doubles, Solivita              
1:00 PM       Bowling, Men Singles, AMF Lanes
1:00 PM       Skeet Shooting, Lakeland Rifle & Pistol Club

Thursday, March 10

8:30 AM       Golf, Men 50-64 and All Women, Schalamar Creek
9:00 AM       Bowling, Men Doubles, AMF Lakeland
9:00 AM       Racquetball, Lakeland Family YMCA         
10:00 AM     Fly Casting, Andy Thornal, Winter Haven
1:00 PM       Bowling, Women Doubles, AMF Lakeland Lanes

1:00 PM       Shooting, Sporting Clays, Lakeland Rifle & Pistol
1:30 PM       Golf, Men 65 and over, Schalamar Creek Golf

Friday, March 11
9:00 AM       Badminton, Kelly Recreation Center
9:00 AM       Bowling, Mixed Doubles, AMF Lakeland
9:00 AM       Scrabble, American Legion Post 72, Mulberry
1:30 PM       Darts, Medulla Baptist Church         

Saturday, March 12

8:30 AM        Road Race 5K, Bartow High School Stadium
9:00 AM       Archery, Central FL Archers, Ft Meade
10:00 AM     Walking 5000 Meter, Bartow High School
11:30 AM     Walking 1500 Meter, Bartow High School

 

Sunday, March 13  DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS

Monday, March 14
12:30 PM     Health Fair, Youkey Theatre Lobby 
2:00 PM       Closing Celebration, Youkey Theatre