Parks Department Hosts Hershey Children's Track and Field Games on May 13, at Mitchel Athletic Complex

The Mitchel Athletic Complex is hosting the local competition for the national Hershey Track and Field Games.

The Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums will host the local competition for the Hershey Track and Field Games at the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale on Tuesday, May 13, at 6 p.m. The free event is for boys and girls ages 9-14.

The Hershey Games, now in their 30th year and involving more than 400,000 participants in all 50 states, are designed to promote physical fitness among youth through track and field events.

These events include the 50-, 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes; the 800- and 1600-meter runs; and the four-by-100-meter relay. In addition, there are two field events — the standing long jump and the softball throw. Each participant may enter as many as three events (at least one of which must be a field event).

All first-place finishers at the local level will advance to the New York State meet on June 4 in Astoria, Queens, with the national championships held at Hershey Field in Hershey, Pa., from July 31-Aug. 3. Each participant in the national meet will receive an all-expense-paid four-day trip to Hershey, Pa.

Registration for the Mitchel Athletic Complex event begins at 4 p.m. on May 13, with the competition starting at 6 p.m. The three age groups are 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14 (boys and girls compete separately). Age is determined as of July 17, 2008, and all participants must provide a valid birth certificate or baptismal record for age verification (failure to provide proof of age may result in disqualification). For more information about the Mitchel event, including volunteer opportunities, call 516-572-0253.

A 49-acre complex centrally located in the “Hub” area just west of Nassau Coliseum and opposite the Long Island Children’s and Aviation museums on Davis Avenue, Mitchel hosts a variety of amateur and professional athletic events. The complex has a large stadium with nine track lanes and an artificial turf field, as well as traditional grass fields for softball and baseball that can be used for soccer, football or lacrosse. All fields require a permit for use (fee required). For more information about the Mitchel Athletic Complex, call 516-572-040.