Gilpin Games Recap

The Gilpin Games were a tremendous success. We set out to put on an afternoon sports camp for kids, and it turned into a day of fun, food, and a surprise at the end. It was a blessing for everyone.

The day started around 11 when kids began filing into the field across from Gilpin. They were organized into age groups and rotated through 30-minute sport sessions where they got instruction and coaching on how to play. It was an extremely hot day in the 90s, but we came armed with water to beat the heat.

We had a wide array of sports offerings. Of course there were the standards - football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, kickball. However, having a diverse set of volunteers allowed us to teach new sports to the kids. Two tennis instructors came armed with a bucket full of balls and tennis rackets for everyone, which was quite a surprise; many of the kids had never played tennis before. However, they picked it up quickly.

Phoebe taught some dancing moves, which turned into a dance-off. Everyone was having a blast dancing to the music, combining dance steps from all genres. There were definitely some naturals.

Dancing was definitely the most labor intensive activity. To beat the heat, kids hung out under the shelter, which provided shade while allowing the breeze to blow through. Plus, the most popular station was right nearby - the water station.

For lunch we served Chic-fil-a with waters and juice boxes. Probably not the healthiest meal, but the kids loved it. Who doesn't love Chic-fil-a?

We wrapped up the day with a special surprise... school supplies for everyone that attended. Shari did a lot of work lining up donations before the event, and it paid off in the end when every attendee got as many school supplies as they could carry. While the kids probably weren't looking forward to going back to school, they sure liked showing off their new backpacks.

photos by Jessee Caleb