By Lee Ann Sides Garrett
Salisbury Post
Bob Goodwin never thought he’d be playing a game called bocce, let alone playing on a court dedicated to him and his wife, Betty.
The facility, added to Ellis Park Recreation Center, was built specifically for the Salisbury/Rowan County Senior Games. The games, which got under way this week, include about 202 of the county’s seniors participating in 62 events.
The Goodwins have participated in the games for many years and have served as local ambassadors to the state organization. That prompted Senior Games officials to add a plaque in the couple’s honor at the new Ellis Park facilities.
“I did 13 events this year,” Goodwin said Thursday. “I’ve had fun and lost about 5 pounds.”
The Senior Games area includes a shelter, donated by the Blanche and Julian Robertson Family Foundation, two bocce courts and two horseshoe pits.
Bocce is a game played by two participants using eight colored, weighted balls and a small white ball called a pallino. One participant throws the pallino, and both participants try to get more of their colored balls closer to the pallino than their opponent.
Bocce has been a part of the Rowan games for about six years. Official Peggy Walker reviewed the rules and answered questions, and competitors then cheered each other on.
“Nice one, beautiful,” Bill French said to his opponent.
Participation in bocce and other events has grown significantly in recent years, Senior Games Coordinator Phyllis Loflin-Kluttz said.
The games are open to “anyone 55 or better,” Loflin added.
Several institutions donated the use of facilities for events, including Catawba College, Rowan-Salisbury schools’ Carson High School, Hurley Family YMCA, Woodleaf Lanes and the Heffner VA Medical Center.
The games, sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C. this year, included events such as tennis, regular and miniature golf, croquet, archery, long jumps, bowling, horseshoes and shuffleboard.
Track and field events held at Catawba College included fun and race walks, softball and football throws, discus, shot put, spin casting and cycling.
The Salisbury/Rowan games organization has added events that Senior Games does not offer at the state level. Loflin-Kluttz and the Therapeutic Recreation Unit of the Salisbury Parks and Recreation Department take the games to local nursing homes, where residents participate in wheel chair races, rock-a-thons and walks.
“We expanded the program to reach all seniors in Rowan,” Loflin-Kluttz said.
Duard Cress, 87, of Salisbury says he participated in four events this year, including miniature golf and bocce. The games give him “something to do,” Cress said.
James Bradshaw enjoys the fellowship the games provide. “I get to see people I only see once a year at the games,” he said.
“I don’t think we ever get out of being competitive.” Thomasina Paige said. “We just need an avenue to do it.”
Events scheduled for today include:
– 8:15 a.m., billiards, Hefner VA Medical Center.
– 8:30 a.m., basketball shooting, Hefner VA.
– 10:30 a.m., badminton, Hefner VA.
– 11 a.m., table tennis, Hefner VA.
– 1:30 p.m., swimming, Hurley Family YMCA.
– 2 p.m., racquetball, Hurley Y.
At 9:30 a.m. Monday, competitors will tee off at Crescent Country Club.
For more information on events or the games, contact Phyllis Loflin-Kluttz at 704-216-7780.