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About SC Senior Games

The SC Senior Sports Classic, a sanctioned participant in the National Senior Games Association, is a quality recreation experience for adults ages 50 years and older created to encourage a healthy lifestyle, to maintain and improve health, wellness and fitness. To provide competitive athletic and recreational experiences that focus attention on regular exercise. To provide social activities for 50+ adults across South Carolina. It is the vision of the SCSSC to have every SC senior embrace the opportunity to create and maintain a physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy lifestyle.

The South Carolina Senior Sports Classic is a quality recreation experience for adults ages 50 and over. The goals of the programs are:

To maintain and improve the health and wellness of South Carolina’s older adults
To provide competitive athletic and recreational experiences that focus attention on the importance of regular exercise in every individual’s personal
plan of health
To provide an opportunity for socializing for older adults across the state
To improve the quality and quantity of senior programs at the local level by providing an opportunity for community groups to work together toward
a common goal
To enhance the quality of life for South Carolina’s Senior Adults

SCSSC History

The Senior Games in South Carolina began in 1985. Fulton Hines, a former Harlem Globetrotter and current Lifetime Member of the SCSSC, walked into the Recreation Department of the City of Florence to inquire about Senior Athletic Programming in the area. He had just returned from an Invitational Sports Festival in St. Louis and he wanted to know if SC had a similar event. The Recreation Director at that time, Debbie Wall researched senior athletics around the state and had to tell Mr. Hines that there were no similar programs. But right then and there the seed was planted for a program that would become one of the best in the country. What started as a one day event for 50, 60-70 year olds in the Florence area has blossomed into over 3000, 50 - 100 year olds enjoying 20 Local Games and a 4 day State Games Celebration in May. For the past two decades, the State Games have been held on the beautiful campus of Francis Marion University. In addition to local and state events, the SCSSC is the official representative of the NSGA (National Senior Games Association) which is an affiliate of the US Olympic Committee. Every other year, South Carolina qualifies 200 – 300 elite athletes for National Senior Games where 12,000 -15,000 competitors from across the USA go for the gold.

Economic Impact

Facts & Figures — There are 77 million US citizens over the age of 50 in America. Someone will turn 50 every 7 seconds for the next 6 years!

In 2004, 38% of the US population was over 50. In 2018 that figure will be 43%. The 60+ population in South Carolina numbers 660,000 and the projection for 2030 is more than 1.3 million. That figure does not count the 50 – 60 year old age bracket

The SCSSC Board of Directors Executive Committee

Table: SCSSC Board Members
Position	Name	Email
Executive Director	Carl Hust
President	Phebe Holcombe
V. President	Bernard Ditter
Secretary	Debbie Eaddy
Treasurer	Rick Gerbers
Past President	Debbie Wall
Member at Large	Richard Schiliro
Member at Large	Phil Gardner