ROBERTSDALE, Ala. -- Seniors from the George P. Thames Senior Center in Robertsdale were once again successful, bringing home more than 70 medals from the 2013 Alabama Masters Games Tournament held last month in Valley.

“Everybody had a great time, enjoyed good food and we’re proud of all are participants,” said center director Sarah Duncan. “They are already looking forward to next year and we want to encourage all seniors to come out and enjoy the benefits of staying active.”

Twenty-one seniors qualified in local competitions held throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties in May through July with 18 seniors making the trip to the games.

“As always we want to thank the City of Robertsdale and everyone who helped make the games possible,” Duncan said. “Everyone enjoyed traveling to the games, meeting old friends and making new ones.”

Participants, ranging in age from 50 all the way up to 92, brought home 38 gold medals, 10 silver and 12 bronze, along with 12 fun walk medals.

According to the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission Website, the Masters Games of Alabama is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles for active adults age 50 and over through social, mental, and physical activities.

They were developed in Oxford in 1990 to provide adults age 50 and above an opportunity to maintain an active lifestyle by participating in a variety of events. This year, there were over 700 participants from across the state.

The Thames Center represents District 7, which includes Baldwin, Mobile, Escambia, Conecuh, Washington, Choctaw, Clarke, Wilcox and Monroe counties. Participants also attend locally from Orange Beach, Saraland, Chickasaw and Mobile.

The Thames Center serves Robertsdale, Loxley and Silverhill in Central Baldwin, Duncan said. They also have participants from Fairhope, Gulf Shores, Elberta and Malbis.

This is the eighth straight year the Senior Center brought home medals from the state games, which is sponsored by the Area Agency on Aging, also locally by the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission.

Duncan said the senior center hosts various activities throughout the year and activities are held almost every weekday at the center with no charge for seniors age 50 and older. The senior center relies on funding from the city and donations, and holds fundraisers throughout the year. This past weekend, the senior center’s Christmas Bazaar was held at the PZK Civic Center.

The senior center and the City of Robertsdale will sponsor the annual Thanksgiving Lunch beginning at noon on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at the PZK Civic Center. Participants are asked to bring a dish for the potluck lunch. There will also be a program to honor veterans at that time.

The center has brought home more than 250 medals over the last five years of competition, including 89 gold, 63 silver, 62 bronze and 82 fitness medals, earned for walking a one-mile track at the competition.

The group’s youngest competitor, Hamilton Edwards, brought home 11 gold medals, including basketball free throw, billiards, checkers, double dominos, dominos, Frisbee throw, horseshoes, Nerf throw, Rook, shuffleboard and softball throw, along with a silver medal in table tennis.

The oldest competitor, Rex Aldridge, scored six gold medals: checkers, double dominos, dominos, Rook, shuffleboard and table tennis.

Additional competitors this year included, Claudia Barbee, three gold medals: golf two-man scramble, pitch and putt and single golf; and two bronze medals: billiards and table tennis; Bessie Duncan, bronze in double dominos and fun walk medal; Royce Duncan, five gold medals: bowling, golf two-man scramble, pitch and putt, single golf and table tennis, silver in Frisbee throw and two bronze: billiards and double dominoes; and a fun walk medal; Mary Fuller, silver medal, double dominos, and fun walk medal; Steve Metz, gold in dominos, two silver: Frisbee and Nerf throws; and two bronze: double dominos and shuffle board; Matthew Nguyen, three gold: swimming, 25-meter and 50-meter freestyle and 5K fun run; bronze in dominos and fun walk medal; Virgie Peterson, three gold: golf two-man scramble, pitch and putt and single golf; Judy Rabren, gold in 5K fun run, silver in Frisbee throw and two bronze: basketball free throw and bowling, and fun walk medal; Dorothy Reisel, three gold, 25-meter and 100-meter backstroke and 25-meter freestyle swimming events; three silver, 50-meter backstroke, 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle swimming, and fun walk medal; Ken Reisel, two gold: 5K run/walk and Frisbee throw, and fun walk medal; Dot Thorne, bronze in bowling and fun walk; Heidi Warner, silver in Nerfball throw, bronze in double dominos, Becky Hayes, Jack Mercer, Toby Riddle and Ellen Roberts all earned fun walk medals.

Kathleen Bender, Barbara Landers and Linda Lowery all qualified for the games but were unable to attend.

Special thanks for extra support and encouragement to coordinator Sarah Duncan, who drove and was a cheerleader for the group; driver Royce Duncan and cheerleader Olivia Campbell.

For more information about activities at the center, contact Duncan at 251-947-8973.