Local youngsters began the track and field season at the annual Hershey Track Meet held at Kinsmen Century Field Saturday. Event coordinator Bob Edwards from Buchanan, who took over from former organizer Monty Johnstone, estimates between 60 and 70 youngsters participated in the meet this year.
Track events featured a 50 metre race for younger competitors, and a 100 metre race for older runners, as well as 200 metre, 400 metre, 800 metre and 1,600 metre races.
Field events included a standing long jump and a ball throw.
The Hersheys meet events may appear to be a little different than those of other meets, Edwards notes. "It's a low tech event. The Hershey track meet was arranged so that everybody could take part," he explains. Special equipment such as starting blocks and spiked shoes are forbidden, he adds.
The founder of the Hershey Chocolate Company realized there was a problem with unhealthy lifestyles among young people going into adulthood. He decided to funnel some of the profits from the sale of Hershey Choco-lates into the track meet. The most important aspect of the event was that it involved no cost to the participants, Edwards points out. "It's all paid for by the Hershey company," he reports.
Each year the meet starts as a local track meet. First and second place winners advance to a provincial meet in Saskatoon. Every province conducts a provincial meet. A regional team is put together from all of Canada. Team members travel to Hershey Pennsylvania to compete in a 'national' event, Edwards explains.
"Many youngsters have started off as Hershey athletes, got a taste for the sport and have gone all the way," Edwards states.
One of the nice things about the Hershey meet is that it involves parents and children. There are no school teams. The kids compete as individuals with the support of their parents. "It's a wonderful way of the whole family getting involved in this sport," Edwards closes.
