BOISE, Id –Saturday marks the 24th Annual Idaho Veterans Olympics. Every year, veterans and more than 700 volunteers take over the grounds of the Veterans Home off Fort Street. Phil Hawkins is the Volunteer Activities Coordinator at the Idaho State Veterans Home. And he’s chairing the Olympics. Hawkins says the day starts with a Parade of Athletes and the lighting of the torch.
Phil Hawkins “The parade is so cool, you get these folks that get so excited that people are clapping for them and then once the games get started, it’s just amazing, we got ‘em all over the place and people helping them and it’s just a lot of fun.”
More than 250 veterans, of all ages and abilities, will take part. Hawkins says they conduct modified sporting events, similar to those featured in the Olympic Games.
Phil Hawkins “If they all they is just kick with one foot or be a stroke victim and maybe all they can do is hit a ball off a tee, whatever they can do. And then it progresses into folks that are in wheelchairs but they have a little bit more ability, and then we go into our ambulatory area and we have the older folks, the younger folks, and we have a blind vets program. We include everybody we possibly can.”
Hawkins says winners get gold and silver medals in each event, and everyone gets a participation medal and a t-shirt. The medal presentation and the Heroes BBQ wind up the day.
For more information, contact the Idaho State Veterans Home 208-246-8750 or the Veterans Affairs Medical Center Recreational Therapy Department, 208-422-1000.
Copyright 2011 BSPR
