Fulton to host Olympic Day celebration for area youth

Fulton kids who have always dreamed of competing for Olympic gold will have their chance to do so while they rub shoulders with true Olympians, thanks to the city's Parks and Recreation department and The YMCA of Callaway County.

The City of Fulton is cooperating with the United States Olympic Committee to hold an Olympic Day celebration Friday, June 22.

Olympic Day was created in 1948 to commemorate the modern Olympic Games, which began in 1894, and in order to promote participation in sport across the world among all ages, genders and athletic abilities.

Last year more than 300 cities around the world took part in Olympic Day celebrations, and the upcoming free Fulton Olympic Day will mark the first time mid-Missouri joins the celebrations.

The idea started locally with the city's public information officer Darin Wernig.

"Being an Olympic year, I felt it would just be great to get the kids aware of not only the Olympics, but fitness and nutrition," said Wernig. "It's just another thing Parks and Recreation can do to support that."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.