Pine Island Junior Olympics Saturday
For the 32nd consecutive year, the Kiwanis Club of Pine Island will team up with the Lee County Parks and Recreation Department to host this year’s Junior Olympics. Island children in kindergarten through fifth grade will participate Saturday, Dec. 14, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The event will be held at the Bobby Holloway Jr. Little League Baseball Field at the island center and each child will compete in his or her own grade for prizes. Prizes include trophies, ribbons and silver dollars. There is no charge to compete and those participating will receive a free T-shirt, hot dog and soda.
The idea was first conceived by Rich Crotty (retired Pine Island fireman) and Mike Shevlin (real estate broker at Century 21 Sunbelt Realty.)
“It was at the same time that the Little League was being set up,” Shevlin said. “I had just started in the Kiwanis Club and I became the chairman for the youth services committee. At that time Rich and I thought it would be a fun thing to do and after all these years it has turned out to be a great thing to do.
“At that time, Pine Island Elementary was kindergarten through 8th grades,” Shevlin continued. “Now, of course, it’s kindergarten through 5th grade so that’s who will be participating this year. Originally we held the event at the school but as it grew we moved to the Little League field. And I have to say the Parks and Recreation Department has been with us ever since. They do a wonderful job for us and it’s been a great relationship.
The Junior Olympics is comprised of five events: softball throw, long jump, Frisbee toss, 50-yard dash and a quarter-mile run. Children who wish to participate must fill out a form prior to the event. “However, kids can do this right up to the start of the contests at 10 a.m., Saturday morning,” Shevlin said. “Just show up a little early around 9:30.”
“This has been such a great event for the kids. Not only is it fun for them, it’s fun for us as well,” said Shevlin. “I am proud to be a part of this fun and healthy activity for the kids and one of the best parts is now we are seeing the next generation. Some of the kids participating now are the children of kids that participated 30 years ago.”
Sponsors of this year’s event, in addition to the Kiwanis Club and Lee County Parks and Recreation, are Pine Island Dairy Queen, which will provide the hot dogs and soda; SunTrust, which is donating the winning silver dollars; Waggoner & Bruehl PA; and Team Shevlin.
In keeping with the Kiwanis International motto “Dedicated to changing the world one child at a time,” the Pine Island Kiwanians continue to do that by offering not only the Junior Olympic track and field competition each year, but also have presented more than $300,000 to deserving college bound students from the island as well as hosting the annual Fall Festival for elementary school-aged children.
The biggest money-making venture for the group, however, is the Taste of Pine Island and Fish Drop. The 2014 event is slated to take place Jan. 25 and 26 and will again be staged at the Bobby Hollway Jr. baseball field at the island center. The day will feature representatives from area restaurants and other vendors as well as live music and the ever-popular fish drop.
In addition to the Junior Olympic games, the Pine Island Little League Board of Directors will be taking sign-ups for the 2014 baseball season.