The Bluegrass State Games have always been a place to see up-and-coming Kentucky athletes, such as sprinter Tyson Gay, who competed in the Olympics last week, and javelin thrower Dana Pounds, who just missed a trip to Beijing.
Perhaps more important, the Games have also been a place for the rest of us — folks who think they just might be able to run, jump, ride a bike or throw a corn-hole bag a little better than their fellow Kentuckians.
Organizers are making plans now for next year’s 25th anniversary of the nation’s second-oldest state Games, which are held each July and early August in Lexington.
They will be making a presentation Tuesday to the Urban County Council, hoping to build interest in the anniversary Games and remind officials of the estimated $6.5 million in economic impact on Lexington from the event each year. Chairman Sam Dunn says it’s bigger than the Sweet 16, and over the years has boosted Lexington’s economy by more than $110 million.
Martha Layne Collins was governor in 1985 when people familiar with New York’s Empire State Games said Kentucky needed to do something like that. Collins, a former schoolteacher, thought it was a great idea – especially given Kentucky’s fondness for fried food and unhealthy lifestyles.
Besides, Collins said recently, ”People in Kentucky love to compete in anything. And it was a good way to bring people from around the state together to get to know each other. A lot of people have formed lasting friendships because of the Bluegrass State Games.“
This year’s Games attracted more than 18,000 participants – up 22 percent from 15,000 the year before. Dunn hopes to boost participation and attendance even more for the 2009 Games. He’s looking for former athletes to honor and participants’ stories to tell as part of the anniversary event.
Dunn, chairman of Bluegrass Management Group and a former Lexington parks director and executive director of the Games, said promoting healthy lifestyles will remain a focus.
The Games’ title sponsor is Get Healthy Kentucky, which was launched by former Gov. Ernie Fletcher, a physician, to encourage Kentuckians to develop healthier lifestyles.
This year, Dunn has been practicing what he’s preaching: He has lost more than 30 pounds since January by eating smaller portions, walking and biking.
The Games has tried to stay fresh and relevant by adding new sports each year. One addition this year was lacrosse. ”They weren’t even playing lacrosse in Kentucky when the Bluegrass State Games started,“ Collins said.
Perhaps the most popular new sport this year was cornhole, the corn- or bean-bag toss game that might be Kentucky’s most popular back-yard pastime. Eighty corn hole teams competed at Woodland Park, including several father-and-son teams.
”It’s certainly not the same level of exercise as cycling or a 5K run, but it encourages people to get off the couch,“ Dunn said. ”And if you’ve ever gone around the tailgaters at a UK game, you know how competitive Kentuckians can be at corn hole.“
Next year, Dunn said, Games officials are considering several possible additions: 3-on-3 soccer, Wii games, cross country track and two activities that were discontinued several years ago: Bowling and walking for seniors.
”We think we’re at the right time at the right place with the right product,“ Dunn said of the Bluegrass State Games. ”It can help bring the state together, and make it more healthy at the same time.“
