ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 6, 1996 TAG: 9610070078
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRISTINA NUCKOLS STAFF WRITER
ROANOKE COLLEGE and West End Center organized the West End Olympic Games for children and teens.
Michael Johnson is fast, but 10-year-old D.J. Williams is pretty sure the Olympic gold medalist would slow down if he had to run while balancing a raw egg in a spoon.
"He'd probably still beat me, though," Williams said modestly after crossing the finish line for the egg relay at the West End Olympic Games on Saturday afternoon.
Williams was one of about 70 children in kindergarten through 10th grade participating in the games, which were sponsored by Roanoke College and held on campus.
"We contemplated using plastic eggs, but we said, `No, it won't be nearly as much fun,''' said Chris Tobin, a Roanoke College senior who helped organize the games.
The games were born this year after Roanoke College President David Gring set a goal to have an on-campus service event involving the entire college community.
Ned Morris, assistant to the chaplain, said the West End Center was chosen to be part of the event, because the college already has a partnership with the agency. Five to 10 student volunteers are at the center each weekday afternoon to help with the recreation, tutoring and nutrition programs offered there.
About 150 college students participated in Saturday's games, many of them recruited through the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council, the Campus Activities Board and the Center for Community Service, a division of the chaplain's office.
"Kids and college students are a natural match," said Morris. "College students love kids, and kids love college students."
Lisa Fernald, a Roanoke College graduate who is program director for the West End Center, agreed.
"The kids have been so excited about it," she said. "They were talking about it since I brought it up. We were late today because they were so enthusiastic it was hard to get them coordinated."
Trumpet fanfares blared across campus as the children piled off the bus. They organized into teams, made a ceremonial march around the rear quad of the college and sang the national anthem. Then, with a final exhortation from Morris to "Play nice," the games began. There was an obstacle course using hula hoops and tires, a basketball hoop shoot and wheelbarrow races, in which human "wheelbarrows" crawl on their hands while teammates hold onto their feet.
"It felt good when you had your hands down on the grass because it was wet and you could wash your hands at the same time," said 7-year-old Mekia Hodges.
In the three-legged race, some larger teammates carried their smaller sidekicks across the finish line, while other competitors tried to hop on their free legs. Several children lost their shoes. Most lost their balance.
"We barely could do it," said Michael Harvey, 8. "We tried, though, and we did make it."
That's all that mattered, Tobin said.
"We don't want this to be competitive," she said. "It's a good time."
The children got the message. "I did one!" 10-year-old Aileen Hooper shouted after sinking a hoop shot. She bounced off to get a hug from one of her college mentors.
"They're nice," she said. "They don't tell us that we can't do something. They tell us to do it, and they encourage us."
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff. Erica Johnson (left) and Lindy Johnsonby CNBcompete in the three-legged race Saturday. color.