Fifty Five Plus Games

SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS | MARCH 29, 2014 T he 2014 Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries 55 Plus Games are looking good — and so are the participants who'll join the fun in Neepawa June 17-19. "The theme for the 2014 Manitoba 55 Plus Games is 'Active People 'R' Attractive People,' " says Jim Evanchuk, executive director of the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults in Manitoba (ALCOA-MB). "This is very much aligned with ALCOA-MB efforts to help change the way we think about aging in Manitoba, with participation in age-friendly activities for life being the main focus." 2014 marks the 32nd year of the Manitoba 55 Plus Games, and the third year ALCOA-MB has co-ordinated the program. The Neepawa host committee and ALCOA-MB hope to welcome 1,200 participants including active, attractive people at the lower end of the 55-plus age range. "We are trying to attract the new 55 plus crowd who are not quite ready for the 'older adult'label,"Evanchuk says. Physical activity, mental stimulation and social engagement are vital for maintaining health and wellness. And more older adults are making the mind-body connection, with the understanding that physical fitness and brain fitness go hand in hand. In fact, research has shown that adults who were most fit at age 50 were less likely to develop dementia after age 65. Fun and friendship are side benefits as well. And whether you want to play soccer, snooker or Scrabble, there's an event to suit every age and activity level. Deal yourself in to a card game, golf, swim, join a slo-pitch team or compete in track events such as predicted walk/run and Nordic pole walking. There's no pressure to turn on the speed in predicted events since the race is not to the swift, but to the person who most closely predicts how long it will take to reach the finish line. Neepawa welcomed 1,400 participants as host city for the 2005 Manitoba 55 Plus Games, and host committee chair Allan Drysdale says many of the same volunteers are helping to make the 2014 games a success. "This is one of these towns that runs on volunteers,"he says."When the time comes, we know we'll have no trouble pulling in all the extra volunteers we need to make it work." Organizers are looking forward to showing off the city of 4,000. Just 45 minutes northeast of Brandon and two hours northwest of Winnipeg, Neepawa is proud of its historic and scenic attractions. Known as the Lily Capital of the world, it's been named Manitoba's Most Beautiful Town more often than any other community. And Drysdale says it's lucky to have a wealth of recreational facilities, including one of Manitoba's finest golf courses, a bowling alley, curling rink and the Yellowhead Centre arena and community hall. "We have a nice town and we hope we're a welcoming town. We're looking forward to having all these people come and visit us." • Disc Golf and 55 Plus Soccer are free demonstration events. Increasingly popular, Disc Golf is played on a scenic 9 Hole/Basket course at Lion's Riverbend Park. Starting at a concrete tee, players throw weighted Frisbee- like discs toward a raised chain basket. The goal is to reach the basket with as few throws as possible. • Canada's most experienced TV news anchor, Lloyd Robertson, will be the guest speaker when he and his wife Nancy attend the Athletes Banquet at theYellowhead Centre on Wednesday, June 18. • Neepawa curling skip Kelly Robertson, whose Senior Men's Curling team has represented Canada at the World Senior Curling Championships, will be honoured at the Athletes Banquet. •The historic RoxyTheatre, a former opera house built in 1906, is the venue for Variety Night on Tuesday, June 17. • The Neepawa host committee is offering daily tours of local attractions, including the town's famous lily fields and gardens, museums and Riverside Cemetery. The final resting place for a victim of the Titanic sinking and famous author Margaret Laurence, the picturesque cemetery is known for its Davidson Memorial, or Stone Angel. Everyone who will be 55 or older on Dec. 31, 2014 is eligible to join the fun. If you're turning 55 this year, you can participate. For information about the 2014 Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries 55 Plus Games, visit www.alcoamb.org or contact the ALCOA-MB 55 Plus Games office at: 204-261-9257 in Winnipeg (1-855-261-9257 toll free) or by email at manitoba55plusgames@gmail.com. Some of the added attractions in Neepawa June 17-19: PLUS GAMES 55 2014 Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries he 2014 Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries 55 or Scrabble, there's an event to suit every or Scrabble, there's an event to suit every Active People 'R'Attractive People Presentedby:

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