Sports
33rd Senior Olympics Kicks Off With Opening Ceremonies Today
Annual event runs through May 29 at various locations through two counties.
Don’t be concerned if you see a lot of seniors heading into local drug stores to get heat wraps and linament oil. Some 1,100 local seniors will take part in 85 different events at the 33rd annual Senior Olympics at the Jewish Community Centers in Creve Coeur and Chesterfield and other venues spread out in West County and St. Charles. The games first began in 1980.
According to Phil Rubin, Athletic Director at the JCC and director of the Senior Olympics, this event will be just as special as the rest.
The athletes range in age from 50 (the entry age) all the way to 98. Rubin sites the main reason people sign up are for the commeradrie and social aspects of the games. “We have people come here every year seeing each other only on this occassion. We have seen frienships formed that will last forever.”
Other come to compete hard and to earn medals.
The general chairman of the games is Alvin Wolff.
Competitors will come mainly from St. Louis, St. Charles and Southern Illinois.
The games begin with the opening ceremonies in the JCC gymasium this Thursday in Creve Coeur starting at 1:30 p.m. The events run through May 29 with no competition on May 27, the celebration in the Jewish calendar of Shavuot.
Many of the events will be at either JCC location. Track and field will be contested at John Burroughs School. Darts will be flying at Blueberry Hill restaurant in the University City Loop.
Bowling is at Olivette Lanes; cycling will be in the Columbia Bottoms area in Maryland Heights. The Soccer tournament will be held at the Tony Glavin soccer complex in St. Peter’s and tennis will be held at the Creve Coeur Racquet Club.
Swimming will be indoors at the JCC in Chesterfield. Shuffle board will be contested at Willowbrook Elementary School, across the street from the JCC on Schuetz Road.
Nine hole golf will be contested at the Creve Coeur golf course and 18 holes at the Norman K. Probstein Course in Forest Park.
There are no closing ceremonies for the Senior Olympics this year.
For information, check out the event website.
Contact information:
2012 Event Chair: Alvin Wolff
Event Director: Phil Ruben
St. Louis Senior Olympics
Staenberg Family Complex
, Jewish Community Center
2 Millstone Campus Drive
, St. Louis, MO 63146
Phone and fax: (314)-442-3279.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
