FEATURE/Games Mark Quarter-Century of Commitment to Youth.NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--Jan. 25, 1999--On weekends in January for the past 25 years, girls from elementary school elementary school: see school. through college have run, jumped, laughed and cheered throughout each meet that makes up the nation's largest track series, The Colgate Women's Games. Today, some 11,000 East Coast girls and young women participate in the weekly events at Pratt Institute Pratt Institute, at Brooklyn, N.Y.; coeducational; chartered and opened 1887. Founded by Charles Pratt as a school for practical training, it now offers general and professional studies, including programs in fine arts, art education, art history, library and in Brooklyn competing for spots in the Madison Square Garden Current arenas in the National Hockey League Western Conference Eastern Conference finals in February. The Colgate Women's Games are the brainchild brain·child n. An original idea or plan attributed to a person or group. brainchild Noun Informal an idea or plan produced by creative thought Noun 1. of Meet Director Fred Thompson Thompson, city, Canada Thompson, city (1991 pop. 14,977), central Man., Canada, on the Burntwood River. A mining town, it developed after large nickel deposits were discovered in the area in 1956. , a former US Olympic Women's Track Coach, ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. Broadcaster and US attorney. Thompson met with Colgate-Palmolive Company executives some 25 years ago and wrote the entire idea for the Women's Games on a cocktail cocktail, short mixed drink originating in the United States and served as an appetizer. It generally has a basis of gin, whisky, rum, or brandy combined with vermouth or fruit juices and often flavored with bitters or grenadine. napkin napkin See Sanitary napkin. at a luncheon where they were discussing what could be done about the lack of positive activities for young women in our cities. While the Games boast 17 former Olympians, many of whom return each year as officials, and several age/grade division national record-holders, fierce competition and fast times are not what the Games are all about. Thompson says, "The Games are a positive solution to a problem-plagued education system with few after school activities, especially for young women. The Games teach self esteem, and promote racial harmony in an atmosphere of friendly competition." In addition to ribbons and medals awarded weekly to all participants at the Colgate Women's Games, trophies and educational grants-in-aid are awarded to finalists. Thompson points to countless individual success stories over the years, successes that have little to do with breaking national records, and insists these are what keep thousands of families coming back each year. "Hundreds of former participants have gone on to college and successful careers. Whether they were finalists or not, they inevitably come back to tell us that the Colgate Women's Games were one of the greatest influences on their lives," Thompson says. However, the competition can't be overlooked. The Games, which officially open the women's indoor track season, have become a national proving ground, annually setting the pace for the season. Participants, primarily from the East Coast, travel to New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of from as far as Boston and Virginia. "Our girls are among the most heavily recruited female athletes by colleges and universities across the country," says Thompson. This year's Silver Anniversary competition makes it one of two programs sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive Company with the impressive distinction of being the longest- running corporate sponsored programs benefiting American youth. The other, "Colgate Youth for America," awards grants for community service. You can learn more about Colgate youth programs by visiting their web page at www.colgate.com. Throughout the series, you can follow weekly results of the Colgate Women's Games at www.colgategames.com. Tickets to the February 6, Madison Square Garden finals are available free by writing to Colgate Games Tickets, P.O. Box 201, Brooklyn, NY 11202-201 |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion