|
National
Veterans
Golden
Age
Games
Set
for
Kansas
During
First
Week
of
September
Website:
http://www.va/vetevent/gag/
WASHINGTON,
Aug.
23
--
From
California
to
Maine,
nearly
500
"golden
age"
veterans
are
heading
to
Topeka,
Kan.,
to
participate
in
a
national
sports
and
recreational
competition.
The
14th
National
Veterans
Golden
Age
Games,
sponsored
by
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA),
will
take
place
Sept.
3-7.
The
Golden
Age
Games
are
open
to
all
U.S.
military
veterans,
age
55
or
older,
who
are
currently
receiving
care
at
a
VA
medical
facility.
Hosted
by
the
VA
Heartland
Network
and
the
VA
Eastern
Kansas
Healthcare
System,
participants
will
compete
in
sports
activities
such
as
swimming,
bicycling,
horseshoes,
bowling,
croquet,
and
a
pentathlon
(softball
hit,
discus,
shot
put,
basketball
free
throw
and
airguns).
"VA
has
always
viewed
recreational
therapy
as
an
integral
part
of
an
older
veteran's
well-being,"
said
Acting
Secretary
of
Veterans
Affairs
Hershel
W.
Gober.
"The
Golden
Age
Games
highlight
this
philosophy.
Anyone
who
has
ever
attended
the
Games
and
seen
the
esprit
de
corps
among
the
veterans
knows
the
event
fills
a
special
need
in
the
lives
of
older
patients."
The
athletes
compete
in
open
and
wheelchair
divisions
and
in
their
age
groups:
55-59,
60-64,
65-69,
70-74,
75-79,
and
80
and
above.
The
majority
are
veterans
of
World
War
II
and
the
Korean
War.
"We're
in
our
twilight
years,
but
at
the
Games,
twilight
turns
to
gold,"
said
Landon
"Chili"
Chilchutt,
78,
an
Army
combat
veteran
and
former
World
War
II
prisoner
of
war.
"Because
of
the
Games,
we
all
have
the
opportunity
to
see
a
bit
of
gold
ahead
of
us
in
our
last
years."
One
of
VA's
greatest
challenges
is
meeting
the
growing
needs
of
a
rapidly
aging
veteran
population.
Today,
9.3
million
veterans,
38
percent
of
the
veteran
population,
are
65
or
older.
Care
for
these
men
and
women
is
provided
through
a
variety
of
programs,
including
more
than
100
nursing
home
care
units
in
medical
centers,
adult
day
care,
home
health
care
services
and
community
residential
care,
contracts
with
3,500
community
nursing
homes,
and
support
to
97
state
veterans
homes.
Additionally,
VA
conducts
nationwide
research
on
the
causes
and
treatment
of
Alzheimer's
and
other
dementias
and
funds
20
geriatric
research
centers.
"At
one
point,
I
had
no
circulation
in
my
legs,"
said
veteran
James
Gilly,
70,
one
of
last
year's
Golden
Age
Games
athletes.
"The
VA
operated
on
me
and
now
I
can
not
only
walk,
but
also
compete
in
the
Games.
Even
if
I
don't
win
a
medal,
I
feel
that
I'm
a
winner
...
I'm
not
getting
older,
I'm
getting
younger
by
competing
in
the
Games!"
For
more
information
on
the
Golden
Age
Games,
or
to
follow
the
activities
as
they
happen,
see
the
website
at:
http://www.va/vetevent/gag.
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