SPOTSWOOD–From trying to get a hole-in-one to arranging jigsaw puzzles, Spotswood Office On Aging and Senior Center patrons participated in the third annual Senior Olympic Games.
Senior center volunteer Barbara Cottrell has organized the center’s annual Olympic games for last three years.
“I enjoy watching the Olympics, so the summer 2016 games inspired me to plan a fun event at the senior center,” Cottrell said. “One of my favorite quotes is, ‘We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.'”
More than 25 patrons participated in the event on July 17 at the Spotswood Office on Aging.
“I am one of many volunteers at the Spotswood Office on Aging. I enjoy working with seniors – I am one, and [I] want to provide some activities that interest the seniors in our town,” Cottrell said.
Cottrell said there were a variety of games for teams and individuals.
During the Olympic Games participants played Plinko, senior center activities cards, golf, jigsaw puzzles, basketball, high or low card games, rings circle board, rings around the bottles, javelin through Olympic rings, shoot the rings, horsepower and table volleyball, according to Cottrell.
“All participants received a solid gold plastic trophy and medals were presented to each team member for first, second and third place,” Cottrell said. “We [also] had a senior torch bearer that opened our ceremony.”
Before becoming a volunteer at the center, Cottrell said she taught public school music teacher in New Jersey for 35 years. She she hosts a corn hole game hour once per week at the senior center and is also the director of the center’s “Young At Heart” chorus group.
Cottrell said she is involved in the occasional game hours where seniors play tabletop games and golf, corn hole, shuffleboard and others. She also enjoys participating in the Zumba classes offered at the center.
The fourth annual Senior Olympics will be held next summer, according to Cottrell.
“We had a great time. Looking forward to next year’s games,” she said.
