In a milestone year, the 55+ B.C. Games is adding two new events to its competition slate.
When the 30th annual multi-sport gathering starts on Sept. 12 in Vernon, it will include - for the first time - women's soccer and squash.
"The more choices, the better," said Prince George's Dick Voneugen, Zone 9 coordinator for the games. "There have been various things tried over time, but this is great and I hope it will take off. A lot depends sometimes on the initial start when a new sport gets introduced and if it doesn't attract very many athletes it could be shelved in the next couple years."
The 55+ Games was formerly known as the B.C. Seniors Games. With the addition of women's soccer and squash, the number of events has reached 28. The others are: archery; badminton; bocce; bridge; carpet bowling; cribbage; cycling; darts; dragon boat racing; equestrian; five-pin bowling; floor curling; golf; horseshoe pitching; ice curling; ice hockey; lawn bowling; mountain bike racing; pickleball; slo-pitch; men's soccer; swimming; table tennis; tennis; track and field; and whist.
There is no qualification process for the Games. Those who want to participate simply must register on or before the June 15 deadline. To start the registration process, contact Voneugen by phone (250-962-7672) or via email (dvoneugen@telus.net).
Zone 9 includes the communities of 70 Mile House, 100 Mile House, Barkerville, Bridge Lake, Canim Lake, Forest Grove, Green Lake, Horsefly, Interlake, Lac La Hache, Likely, Mackenzie, McBride, McLeese Lake, Prince George, Quesnel, Wells and Williams Lake. Participation numbers from the zone typically range from 100 to 200, Voneugen said.
Vernon was also the host city for the first edition of the Games, held in 1988. That year, about 800 people registered. This year, registration numbers are expected to be close to 3,500. Voneugen said the explosion in interest is likely a combination of increased awareness of the Games and the general move toward more healthy and active lifestyles.
"I think all of the above," he said. "I had a call just a couple of days ago from a lady brand new to the scene and it turns out she's turning 55 and she thought, 'Hey, better now than never.' And she signed up for track and field. There have also been a few - invariably ladies - that have come to our practice events when they weren't qualified by age yet. And they said, 'Hey we want to get ready. By the time we're 55, then we can jump into it.'
"But we should be flooded by 55-year-olds - there's a whole crop every year - and we're not. We have to dig for them, and the oldtimers are hanging on."
Voneugen, whose passion is track and field and road running, missed the inaugural Games and only two others in the first 29 years. He'll turn 85 in July and plans to make the Vernon meet his final one.
"The last two, I've gone, but without participating - just too slow, and I don't want to hold up the parade," he said. "This year, (it will be) for sentimental reasons - go to Vernon just to be there, see my old buddies, and I think that's the last trip for me."
Prince George hosted the Games in 2002 and 2008.
