PERRYVILLE PLANS GAMES FOR GROWN-UPS

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The new games in town are for mature adults only.

The Perry Park Center will receive 10 or more inquiries a day about its Southeast Missouri Games for those 50 or older, said Jennifer Lopez, marketing director for the center.

The games, planned for the first weekend in June, will give older residents of the region an option they haven't had before, Lopez said.

"We have many seniors here who travel to other games, but we've had no games here," she said.

The closest senior games offering track and field events along with other sports competitions have been in St. Louis and Poplar Bluff, Mo., until now.

The 47-scheduled events include runs ranging in distance from 50 yards to 1,500 meters, along with golf, swimming and other activities.

The games are the brainchild of B.J. Wilken, the park center's former fitness director. Wilken assisted with organizing the concept and forming a committee to work through the planning before he took a new job last summer with the YMCA in Galesburg, Ill.

300 expected

Organizers anticipate about 300 participants.

Harry Guth of Perryville thinks his now ailing back will be in shape soon so he can start training.

"When you get older, you pull a lot of muscles," said Guth, 76. "You have to round yourself into shape more slowly."

The state record holder in several running events for the elderly thinks the games will be well attended by seniors in the region, although the choices for older athletes are wide.

"You can't avoid these competitions," Guth said. "They're going on somewhere every weekend."

Besides providing a new athletic outlet, Wilken estimated that with sponsorships and entry fees the games should generate $20,000 in revenue.

The need for volunteers to serve as judges and in other positions should be great, Wilken said. Plans have been made to recruit area high school students and members of fraternities and sororities to help.

Although competitions will all take place within Perryville this year, Wilken envisions the games moving from year to year among other Southeast Missouri cities.