Over three hundred young people from
nine Fall River neighborhoods gathered at B.M.C.Durfee High School on
August 9, 2011 for the fourth annual Summer Olympics contest. "This
was our best year yet," commented
Community Development Re-creation
(CD-REC) executive
director Grace Gerlling. "These kids couldn't wait to get here to
compete after practicing their events all summer at the parks," she
added. The event began in the
Luke Urban Field House where Fall River Mayor William Flanagan welcomed
the staff and praised the participating athletes for their efforts. A
short program included a dance number by TRADEMARK! and a
video by Belinda Teixeira with scenes from the team sessions in the parks
throughout the summer. The athletes then went to the football field where
teams competed in different events for individual medals after a short
warm-up of jumping jacks and sit-ups led by CD-REC recreation leader Jason
Springer. The day concluded three hours later with team tug-of-war
contests and the award of a trophy to the overall team winner, the
Lafayette Park Locos.
The event was sponsored by Attorney General Martha Coakley’s
Project YES
Initiative, Partners for a
Healthier Community, Mayor
William Flanagan, Fall River
Ford and Tremblay's Bus Company.
Click here
for a 
video of the event.
Click
here for pictures from last year's Olympic event. For more information about the
summer programs, contact CD-REC at 508-679-0922. (Photos
in row three courtesy of Belinda Teixeira)
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(Row
one) Community Development Re-creation
recreation leader Jason
Springer presents Mayor William Flanagan with a Summer Olympics tee shirt
before the TRADEMARK! dance group performs for the athletes. (Row
two) CD-REC staff Jason Spring, Annemarie Sharkey and Seneca Boyer get the athletes to spread out over the field for some warm-up jumping
jacks and sit-ups. (Row three) Contestants compete in an obstacle course
race, a hula-hoop contest and a sack race. (Row four) Runners compete in a
40-yard dash and the low hurdles before CD-REC program director Jamison
Souza starts the team tug-of-war contests. (Row five) Jamison is launched
from the tug-of-war rope as the team give it their all. (Row six) Athletes
applaud the Lafayette Park Locos for their team win as they accept the
trophy and pose for a team picture.
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