The D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced open registration for the 35th annual DC Senior Games (DCSG) presented by Aetna.
Aetna will sponsor the first 300 senior athletes to register by waiving the entry fee and providing participants with a commemorative 2018 DCSG T-shirt.
The games will kick off Monday, April 30 at Kenilworth Recreation Center in Northeast, concluding on Monday, May 14 at various locations throughout the District.
Touted as a senior’s version of the Olympics complete with a grandiose opening ceremony, DCSG will showcase District residents age 50 and older as they compete and medal in a variety of sports competitions.
“D.C. seniors matter and this event is one of the highlights of the year; to see over 300 seniors compete is amazing and inspiring,” said DPR Director Keith A. Anderson. “It feels good to give seniors this platform to showcase their talents and get recognized in a major way.”
The DC Senior Games is a yearly competition, hosted by DPR and sanctioned by the National Senior Games Association (NSGA) that pushes Mayor Muriel Bowser’s FIT DC initiative and features activities including: basketball, bowling, horseshoe toss, pickleball, softball, swimming, tennis and track and field.
Sixty D.C. seniors are set to qualify in NSGA’s National Senior Games.
Senior athletes that fare well in regional games get to compete against other seniors from across the country at the national competition, which takes place every two years. The 2019 National Senior Games will be held June 14-25, 2019, in Albuquerque, N.M.