Plus 55 plans ahead for games

Times Contributor    

 

The Plus 55 Summer Games organizers are beginning their push to raise awareness, garner volunteers and secure funding to make the 2015 games a great success.

“This is our time to shine. We need enthusiasm and we hope everyone spreads the word. Our goal is to make everyone aware of why we are here,” said the Alberta Plus 55 Summer Games Board member Donalda Ledene.

The games are being held in Strathmore, July 16-19, 2015. 

The organizers have formed a 16-member board, including five members from Wheatland County, who are helping to form partnerships to get the games off the ground. Alberta Sport, the Town of Strathmore and the Alberta government are currently on board. 

They are looking for 800 volunteers, in all types of service areas. Those who wish to volunteer can call Bruce Bishop at 403-934-6630 for more information.

There are some very interesting competitive activities lined up for 2015. An assortment of sports will be featured: bocce, cycling, floor curling, floor shuffleboard, golf, horseshoes, slo-pitch, swimming and tennis. A new event added is pickle ball. There are also non-sport competitions: arts, bridge, creative writing, and cribbage. A geocaching event will also be laid out. Ledene said that there are eight zones in Alberta, and those interested should be considering participating now to reach finals for the games, as playoff processes lead to the athletes competing in the games.

Those interested can go to the Alberta 55 Plus Games website, www.alberta55plus.ca and fill out a one-year membership, which costs $30. Then you can see all the events and the corresponding information for participation.

Strathmore and Wheatland are in Zone 2, which covers a larger area than Wheatland County, so it is a chance to meet a new group of people as well.

“I think it will be a great opportunity to showcase the town and the surrounding communities,” said Ledene.

There will be an influx of approximately 2,000 people – athletes, spouses and friends – enjoying Strathmore’s hospitality. Past games have generated over a million tourism dollars for hosting areas, so there are benefits for municipal governments and businesses to get involved.

Organizers are preparing some activities in June, to give people a chance to participate and test drive which event might be appropriate for them. For more information, call Joss Binns at 403-934-2458.

The plus-55 age category is the largest growing demographic in the province, and the games hope to showcase mind and body fitness, through the role models participating in the games. The oldest athlete competing in games is 100 years old, so age is not a factor to participate. 

Information playoff posters will be distributed throughout the province approximately four months prior to the games. Playoffs will be held one to three months prior to the games. 

Travel and accommodations worries shouldn’t deter potential entrants, as zone winners are given accommodation, meals, transportation to and from the games and transportation during the event. Zone Identification (i.e. t-shirt) and sport bag, inclusion in ceremonies and other social events and provision of sport facilities and necessary sport equipment for competition will be provided in the host community. More info about the specific activities is posted on the Alberta 55 Plus Summer Games www.albertagames.com website. The 2015 Strathmore games site is under development and will have more information soon.