1,400 Athletes 50+ Expected to "Go for the Gold in Wine Country"

The 6th Annual Sonoma Wine Country Games--a series of sports competitions for athletes 50+--takes place June 3 through 19, 2016, in Sonoma County, in the heart of the scenic Northern California Wine Country.

The Games, sponsored by Council on Aging (COA), offers 17 different sports, from archery to volleyball, at venues throughout the county. Early bird registration opens March 1 at www.winecountrygames.com. Principal sponsor for the Games is Kaiser Permanente.

This year, the Games will feature one new sport: a handball tournament, to be held at Parkpoint Health Club in Santa Rosa.

Also new as part of the Sonoma Wine Country Games is a non-competitive, all-age walk/run called “Loop Around the Lake.” Scheduled for Friday, June 10 from 6 to 8 p.m., the event starts and ends in Howarth Park in Santa Rosa and loops around Spring Lake. Participants can walk, stroll, or run this scenic route accompanied by family members, friends, or leashed pets. Registration for the event is $10 and benefits Council on Aging. Everyone is welcome.

Almost 1,200 athletes took part in the 2015 Games, and COA expects more than 1,800 to register for the 2016 series of competitions. In 2015, competitors came primarily from California, but also from the states of Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, New Jersey, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Washington. Two Canadian residents also participated.

Sports this year will include archery, badminton, basketball, bocce, bowling, cycling, golf, handball, lawn bowling, petanque, pickleball, soccer, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.

For more information about the 2016 Sonoma Wine Country Games, please visit www.winecountrygames.com or call 707-525-0143 x121.