Se-bay, San Juan, La Union- March 26, 2000. - The Yellow Team creamed the Blue Team to come up with Green!  And Grins!!!  And what a field day it was for Rotarians who participated in The First Annual Rotary Sportsfest 2000 participated in by our members of good standing in their tiptop shapes and creative sportswear.  The games officially began at 9:30 am on a beautiful Saturday morning with Billiards providing early excitement as the Blue Team chalked their first of 2 wins out of 9 events.  Needless to say, the Yellow Team came roaring back with a victory in Chess and Darts.  Adrenalins rushed as Basketball took center stage giving the Yellow Team another decisive win.  Wrestling mania began immediately after with Richard Dy, notwithstanding his fatigue from the basketball event, edging out Sammy So for another Yellow Team victory.  The most exciting event, the Polovoron Eating contest, was won hands-down and wrappers-down by PP Rudy and Reggie Chan for yet another Yellow Team victory.  Tensions were high as the charades tested the wit and finesse of both teams with the Yellow Team's execution of The Godfather, Silence of the Lambs and Blue Hawaii.  Volleys and spirits were high with Beach Volleyball also going to the Yellow Team.  To cap the event, the Tug of War was won by the Blue Team who by the end of the day, wanted more events as they already "warmed-up!"

In summary, hereunder are the list of winners:

Event    WINNER    REPRESENTATIVE
BILLIARDS   Blue Team   Jerry Parlan and Canor Salvador
CHESS   Yellow Team  Jerome Gaerlan and Ruidy yabes
DARTS   Yellow Team  Kit Purugannan, Romy Chan
BASKETBALL  Yellow Team  Albert Dy, Ferdinand Fernandez
       Richard Dy
ARM WRESTLING  Yellow team   Richard Dy
POLVORON EATING Yellow Team   Rudy Yabes , Reggie Chan
CHARADES   Yellow Team  You know who you are!
BEACH VOLLEYBALL Yellow Team
TUG OF WAR  Blue Team 

What sporting event would not be complete without Official Commentators Cres Fernandez and Aldy Dy who were also official cheerleaders.  Why they are both of the Yellow Team is beside the point.

Congratulations to sports organizer, Jerry Parlan along with the Yellow and Blue Team for making the event a success.

Keep in mind, Blue Team, there's always next year!

ME!!!!!  I was the biggest winner last Friday, March 10. The Rotary Club of San Fernando (La Union) and La Union Medical Society  co- sponsored the "LUNG BANDA" contest at DMMMSU auditorium, SFC wherein five (5) local bands, namely, UNANG BAITANG, SOUNDS LIKE US, BLAZING ORPHEUS, D' PLUGGERS and SWEET, SHARP, SOFT, CHEWY, FRUITY BOYS participated by performing two (2) songs each with one original composition advocating people to stop smoking.  LUMS President, Dr. Gei Gaerlan and Dr. Vicki Ann Bautista took time to share medical information on the ill-effects and irreversible damage to a smoker's body and to non-smokers as well because of passive smoke.  From what I gathered, smokers are burning their life away.

The bands played their hearts out with their own interpretation of popular songs and rendition of their no-smoking campaign original songs which I was made to understand were composed in record time.  I see a lot of potential and musical talent from these bands given proper training  and exposure.  I should know because I was once a band member in high school but got no proper training and enough exposure.  Back then, people,  specially  parents, looked down upon bands as social misfits.  We could have been the ERASERHEADS of the 70's.  Anyways, enough excuses for lack of  musical talent.

The contest was judged by musically- inclined representatives chosen by  the -irrepressible project chairman, Dr. Edward Gaerlan, from the organizers, RCSFU and LUMS represented by yours truly and Dr. Rey Espinueva and Richard Martinez of McDonalds (SFC), Jonald Absin of Boehringer Ingelheim and Eric Tabotabo of Smith, Kline and Beecham.  Adjudged the best band and best original composition was UNANG BAITANG followed by BLAZING ORPHEUS, and D' PLUGGERS.  The best band won a cash prize and a recording contract with THE STUDIO MUSIC FACTORY, a surprise benefactor.

Congratulations to all the winners, participants, officers and members of RCSFU and LUMS; volunteers of Phil. National Red Cross; representatives from McDonalds; Boehringer Ingelheim; Smith, Kline and Beecham; management of DMMMSU and to all who contributed one way or the other to the success of this worthwhile project.

But the biggest winner that  evening was me.  I stopped smoking.