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Governor Bush Announces Lee County to Host Senior Games
Oct 6, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GOVERNOR BUSH ANNOUNCES LEE COUNTY TO HOST THE FLORIDA SENIOR GAMES STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS ~~Championship will serve as a qualifier for National State Games ~~ TALLAHASSEE (OCTOBER 6, 2005) - Governor Jeb Bush today announced Lee County as the host of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Florida Senior Games State Championships. Sponsored annually by the Florida Sports Foundation, the Florida Senior Games State Championships is an Olympic-style sports festival for Florida's senior athletes age 50 and older. The Games are held during two weekends in early December. "The Florida Senior Games provide the state's mature athletes with an exciting opportunity to participate in a wide array of sports events that promote fitness, camaraderie and the good will of competition," said Governor Bush. "I congratulate Lee County and the surrounding community for being chosen to host the upcoming championships. I know the region will warmly welcome Florida's senior athletes and all those who come to the area to enjoy the competitions." The Lee County host bid was prepared by the Lee County Sports Authority, in partnership with the City of Cape Coral, Lee County Parks & Recreation and the School District of Lee County. Lee County is the sixth Florida community to host the annual Florida Senior Games State Championships. This year marks the 15th Anniversary of the Games, and will be the first time the competition has been held in the southwest Florida area since 1998, when Sarasota hosted the event. "This is a great opportunity for Southwest Florida to showcase our warm hospitality for our visitors," said Bill Hammond, Lee County Deputy County Manager and resident of 30 years. "A lot of folks don't know about Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Naples. We have spent millions of dollars to protect environmentally sensitive lands develop parks and recreation facilities. I am confident the senior athletes will find this area a wonderful destination to visit and enjoy for the next three years." Facilities slated to host events of the Florida Senior Games State Championships are the Estero Community Center, the Florida Gulf Coast University, the Ida Baker High School, the Cape Coral Festival Park and the Lake Kennedy Senior Center. "We look forward to hosting the various activities and events of the Florida Senior Games State Championships," said Steve Pohlman, Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Cape Coral. "As the fifth-fastest growing community in the nation with a population of more than 100,000 we strive to showcase Cape Coral as an outstanding waterfront community. I think the senior athletes will really enjoy competing in softball at the Cape Coral Sports Complex and track & field at Ida Baker High School, which just opened in August of 2005." Senior athletes who compete in the State Championships must first qualify at one of twenty-one local qualifying games. Every other year, the Florida Senior Games State Championships serves as a qualifier for the National State Games. The 2006 State Championships in Lee County is a qualifier for the 2007 National State Games in Louisville, Kentucky. Al Oerter, a Fort Myers resident since 1984 and four-time Olympic Gold Medal winner, will serve as the honorary chairperson for the 2006-08 Florida Senior Games State Championships. "The Senior Games, as well as any competition involving folks with a few years on their bones, is important," said Oerter. "We should be doing other things with our lives that don't involve sitting in front of a television. The Senior Games is not like the Olympic Games where the main focus is winning. It's just about putting forth an effort to see how good you can become at an advanced age." The Florida Senior Games State Championships is a program under the Florida Sports Foundation, the official sports promotion and development organization of the State of Florida. The 2005 Florida Senior Games State Championships will be held December 3-11, in The Villages. Registration for the 2005 State Championships is currently underway and materials can be found at www.flasports.com <http://www.flasports.com/> or can be requested by calling toll free 1-866-FL-GAMES (345-2637). Previous sites of the Florida Senior Games State Championships are: 1992 Bradenton |