Good Sports Abound At Family Fun Festival
Illawarra Mercury
Monday March 8, 2004
SIMPLE, healthy, old-fashioned fun was the name of the game at the annual Shellharbour City Festival of Sport at the weekend.
The festival, now in its sixth year, brought to the city three days of sporting competitions, demonstrations, activities - and loads of fun.
About 1000 people competed in sporting events from fishing and tae kwon do to table tennis, kite surfing and lawn bowls.
The colourful corporate dragon boat race, which last year attracted nine teams, had 13 teams this year. None could beat reigning champion City Coast Credit Union.
Yesterday several thousand people converged on Reddall Reserve near Lake Illawarra for a family fun day that featured a special appearance by players from the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Shellharbour City Festival of Sport committee secretary Diane Johnston said wet weather reduced the number of spectators on Saturday but, after a slow start, yesterday's family fun day attracted a good crowd.
``The aim is to ensure that not just children but people of all groups can go out and experience different sports, and to also get children outside, participating in active activities," she said.
The three-day event was built on the foundations of Shellharbour City's old Sunshine Festival and was designed to capitalise on the city's sporting past.
Shellharbour has been home to a number of sporting identities, including former Australian women's hockey captain Dianne Gorman, former champion swimmer the late Beverley Whitfield, world champion surfer Jenny Gill and Olympic swimmer Karen Lord.
© 2004 Illawarra Mercury
Share This