MEMORIAL STADIUM, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 



-'^t 



All Ready For You 

 ; at the Sports Festival 



. Late Returns Indicate More Than 2000 Will Take 

 Part in Big Tournament 



rS THIS is written plans for 

 the big Sports Festival on 



the University of Illinos 



campus Sept. 4-5 are fast rounding into 

 shape. Reports from all sections of the 

 state indicate that there will be an out- 

 pouring of farm folks such as has never 

 been seen before — certainly never be- 

 fore on such an occasion. 



On August 15 the deadline entry date 

 for Softball, 108 teams had been entered 

 in the three divisions by nearly 60 Coun- 

 ty Farm Bureaus. 



Consider for a moment the magnitude 

 of the coming tournament. Figuring 14 

 players to a team adds up to 1500 young 

 athletes taking part in the greatest 

 farm softball contest ever held in Amer- 

 ica. 



But 1500 Softball players is only part 

 of the story. At least 75 baseball play- 

 ers will compete on the five teams sched- 



uled to play for the state Farm Bureau 

 championship. 



More than 1 50 of the stoutest farmers 

 in Illinois will dig in for the glory of 

 their counties in the tug o'war tourna- 

 ment. 



Somewhere between 75 and 100 county 

 barnyard golf champions will twirl the 

 horse shoes for state honors. 



Another 150 or more colorfu'ly garbed 

 folk and square dancers will click their 

 heels and step to the rhythm of lively 

 dance music. 



Around 150 band musicians will be 

 there to lend color and interest to the 

 occasion. 



And how many runners, swimmers, 

 jumpers, husband, chicken and hog call- 

 ers, rolling-pin throwers, checker olayers 

 and horse pulling contestants the last 10 

 days will turn up is still a question. 



Enough have already entered to insure 



plenty of rivalry and fun that no one 

 will want to miss. 



Whoever heard of a farm field day 

 with 2000 people taking active part? 

 Well, that's the outlook for the First Il- 

 linois Farm Sports Festival on Sept. 

 4-5. 



Don't miss it. C'mon and take part 

 even if it's only as a spectator. Get 

 away from the cares and worries of daily 

 routine for a couple of days. Come 

 out and see these young folks play. May- 

 be you'll take home some of their spirit, 

 fire and enthusiasm for life. 



Now a word about the preparations. 

 J. E. (Ed) Harris, Champaign county 

 farm adviser, is local chairman of the 

 committee in charge of staging the event. 

 Roy Johnson, agricultural teacher and 

 athletic director from Mahomet High 

 School, is his righthand man. 



Roy who has been on the job for the 

 lAA since late in June has done a good 

 job. He has traveled thou,sands of m'les 

 over the state to nearly al' the counties, 

 scheduling teams and contestants, spread- 

 ing information and talking up the Fes- 

 tival. Working with Mr. Harris will be 

 a small army of Champaign county folks. 

 University people, Athletic Department 

 officials. Chamber of Commerce folks. 

 Most of the members of the lAA and 



(Continued on page 8) 



)RD 



SEPTEMBER, 1936 



