Fairfield Healthcare Center of Laurel Baye held their Olympics in Ridgeway. The opening parade is led by torch carrier Ruby Burns.
In keeping with the spirit of the summer Olympic games that we enjoyed from London, England earlier this month, the Fairfield Healthcare Center of Laurel Baye in Ridgeway held its own Olympics for their residents called simply The Olympic Games.
The first Olympic games were created in 776 B.C. in Ancient Greece by Hercules, the Greek hero of myth. The games lasted until 393 B.C. when they were abolished by the Roman Emperor Theodosius. He had been tolerant of most pagan practices, but in 392 B.C. he enacted laws against all pagan practices, of which he considered the games to be. And so they were discontinued until their revival in 1892 by a Frenchman who founded the first Olympic Committee. The first Olympic flame was introduced in 1928. During war time was the only time when the games were not held. That was 1916, 1940 and 1944.
The Olympic Games of the Fairfield Healthcare Center started at the Ridgeway post office with a parade and the carrying of the Olympic torch by resident Ruby Burns. American banners lined the streets and spectators and shop owners came out from Ruff’s Hardware, the Cotton Yard Market and the First Citizen’s bank to cheer on the marchers. A hydration station was sponsored by Regional Ambulance who also used their vans to transport the marchers to their starting point. Each of the participants wore a white T-shirt with the words “Olympic Games” and the emblem of the Olympic rings on them. The shirts were made by Roger Browning of Browning Tee’s. Thanks to the support and efforts of the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, deputies Steve McDonald, Rick Gibson and Ronald Mull closed the street to traffic and an escort deputy car lead the group with siren wailing. Due to an illness in the family, Mayor Charlene Herring was unable to attend the event this year.
The rest of the week, the residents were kept busy with such games as wheelchair races, horseshoes, volleyball, javelin throw, dance, Wii bowling, Frisbee golf, a spelling bee and trivia games.
An awards ceremony was held at the end of the week’s activities with the winners receiving gold, silver and bronze ribbons.
This was a week of fun and a feeling of achievement for the residents, thanks to the efforts and thought that went in to making their Olympic Games special, by Activity Director Frances Maddox, the staff of the Fairfield Healthcare Center, volunteers and sponsors Regional Ambulance and Laurel Baye.
