Active Aging

6 Active Aging Week | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2023 By Kristin Marand TO HOST 2024 MANITOBA 55+ GAMES BRANDON randon will host the 2024 Manitoba 55+ Games and planning is well under way. The annual experience with over 20 different events, will kick off with a curling bonspiel in March with the other events taking place in June. The Manitoba 55+ Games are open to participants of all skill levels, physical abilities, interests, and ages. While the Games offer a good number of physical competitions, there will be numerous games and other skills-based contests as well. Linda Brown, executive director of Active Aging in Manitoba (AAIM), says that the Games' primary purpose is to provide an opportunity for Manitobans aged 55 years and older to remain active throughout their lifespan. "A lot of our events at the Games have age categories. For example, there's an 80 plus category. Maybe you are not running anymore, but you could still enter the Games and walk." The Manitoba 55+ Games aim to be open and inclusive to everyone, so even if you don't consider yourself an athlete there are ways to get involved in the friendly competition. In the arts and crafts category, participants can show off their woodworking, painting, quilting or crocheting skills. There are also games like snooker and pool, as well as a variety of card games like cribbage, bridge, and whist. With the event returning to Brandon in 2024 – the city last hosted the Games in 2016 – Brown expects an increase in participants and spectators. Jennifer Watson, executive director of Brandon First, says that Brandon's wealth of experience as a host community for regional, national, and international competitions will be invaluable. "Brandon has a significant history of successful event hosting going back decades. Our facilities, volunteers, organizers, and local hospitality community provide competitors and spectators with a friendly, sportsmanlike environment. We pride ourselves on our ability to deliver world- class event experiences." An exciting addition to the Games next year will be a curling event, held at Brandon's Keystone Centre in March with both four-person team curling, and two-person stick curling. Curling is part of the Games when a community is capable of hosting it. Venues aren't usually available in June, notes Watson. "Partnering with the Brandon Curling Club to offer a bonspiel earlier in the year was presented to us as an option. We thought it was an excellent way to include as many people who wanted to compete as we could," she says. "Brandon loves to host curling, so we can't wait to see these competitors join us in March." As with many large-scale events, the Games rely on volunteers to help things run smoothly. Brown and Watson estimate that they will need between 200 and 300 volunteers to help with everything from planning and organizing committees, to admission, scorekeeping, officiating, information runners, security, and other key jobs. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Brandon First or AAIM to connect with the volunteer coordinator. Volunteer information will also be available on the Brandon 55+ Games Facebook page and website. In addition to the in-person Games, people can also participate virtually for a month following the events in Brandon. This gives people who may not be able to travel or don't participate in any of the scheduled events a chance to get in on the action in their own way. Every activity counts from horseback riding, to kayaking, waterskiing, playing cards, berry picking – even gardening. Virtual participants log their activity in a tracker and submit it to AAIM for the chance to win prizes, with the virtual games are a great way to continue to promote an active lifestyle after the official Games are over. "It opens it up to anybody in the province," says Brown. "It's a way of keeping the Games alive, keeping people active and encouraging people to maybe take up a new activity or carry on their activities over the summer." B THE ANNUAL EXPERIENCE WITH OVER 20 DIFFERENT EVENTS, WILL KICK OFF WITH A CURLING BONSPIEL IN MARCH WITH THE OTHER EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN JUNE. Games registration will open online in March 2024. For more information on the Manitoba 55+ Games Visit https://activeagingmb.ca/55games/ or call AAIM at 204-632-3947 or 1-866-202-6663.

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