AUGUST 2004

Olympic Games Return to Origins–Athens
by Tom Kertes

It’s safe to say that the upcoming Athens Olympic Games is going to be unlike any other.

Viva la difference: in a wonderfully appropriate celebration, the Games return to their original birthplace, with some of the events actually held in the exact locations where they were first conducted 2700 years ago. (The original Games were part of a religious festival and began in 776 B.C.) Naturally, the Olympics should have returned to Greece in 1996—the 100th birthday of the Modern Games—but “Athens was simply not ready financially or otherwise to hold an Olympic Games at that time,” according to Olympic historian, and Rice University Professor Clark Haptonstall. MORE

MAY 2004

Gearing Up For Camp! Preparation is the Key to a Successful Summer at Camp

Millions of children will get their first taste of independence at a resident or day camp this summer. More than 12,000 camps across the country are preparing to give children the experience of a lifetime and parents should be doing the same. Preparation is the key to a successful summer at camp. Not only does a child need to be prepared, parents also need to prepare themselves. MORE

APRIL 2004

Alaska's Youth Olympics Revives Heritage

Special events are a way to celebrate the unique traditions of Alaska's Native people. The Alaska Native Youth Olympics are held each April in Anchorage. More than 40 teams and a total of 350 students from around the state join together to compete in events such as The Stick Pull, The Wrist Carry, The Kneel Jump and the Seal Hop. READ MORE