More strides made for Southeast Queens Junior Olympics

The Southeast Queens Junior Olympics planning committee has received confirmation from York College that they will be able to hold their opening ceremonies at the Jamaica college. They are still in negotiations for the closing ceremony and other sporting events to be held at the facility. The third bi-annual Southeast Queens Junior Olympics will kick off with a parade on August 5th at 11:30 a.m. from St. Albans Park, on Merrick and Linden boulevards, and will finish at York College in the track and field facility.
The organization expects Borough President Helen Marshall to kick off the games, which are open to everyone between the ages of 6-19 in baseball, basketball, double-dutch, martial arts, soccer, stepping, swimming, tennis and track & field. The events will be held at Roy Wilkins Park, Campus Magnet High School, York College, Cambria Heights and Laurelton West fields, along with a few other locations that have yet to be determined.
The planning committee has also begun to arrange to get three unannounced speakers for the opening to address the participants in separate age groups. One speaker will speak to the youngest group about finances and saving money. The oldest age group will be counseled on how to adjust to the oncoming college lifestyle, and the middle sector will be greeted by a youth officer from the 113 Pct., who will talk about gang prevention.
Southeast Queens Junior Olympics President and founder Allan Pope hasn't released the list of applicants, although he noted it is increasing by the moment. &#8220I think everything is going to run smoothly,” he told The Queens Courier. &#8220We hope to get good weather and get a lot of applications.”
Although sponsors, outside of The Queens Courier, have yet to be announced, the organization has received significant contributions from Assemblyman William Scarborough, Councilman James Sanders and Borough President Marshall, with many more on the way.
The Long Island Rail Road has agreed to hang Southeast Queens Junior Olympics banners along various stops in the area.
For more information on the third bi-annual Southeast Queens Junior Olympics, call Pope at (718) 978-2884 or the Cambria Heights Sports Association at (718) 525-4494. To register, you can stop by the games' headquarters at 200-19 Linden Boulevard in St. Albans, the St. Albans Library at 191-05 Linden Boulevard, Cambria Heights Library at 220-20 Linden Boulevard, Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church at 14-44 Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica or the First Presbyterian Church of St. Albans at 190-04 119th Avenue.