Ramona AWANA teams bring home the gold

By Carol Karaszewski

Ramona AWANA broke records and brought home medals from the recent regional AWANA Olympics held in the Ramona High School gym. This year the club fielded three co-ed teams with boys and girls in kindergarten through sixth grade.

The Ramona teams competed Feb. 25 in relays, marathon races, tug-of-wars, balloon and bean bag relays, and three-legged races on the AWANA game circle with AWANA clubs from all over San Diego County.

The Ramona T&T teams shattered six records. Record times were turned in for the Girl’s Bean Bag Relay, Boy’s Bean Bag Relay, Team Bean Bag Relay, Gir’s Bean Bag Bonanza, Boy’s Bean Bag Bonanza and Girl’s Balloon Relay.

Coach Danielle Doelman, who has been a part of Ramona Awana since she was a Sparkie in second grade, drilled the Ramona teams several times a week for the past two months leading up to the games.

“The girls did an amazing job,” Doelman said. “They worked hard and it showed.”

This is only the second year for Ramona having two teams in the upper division.

“My goal next year is to see Ramona go 1, 2,” Coach Doelman said.

AWANA is an international, non-denominational, Bible-centered program. The Ramona AWANA program is one of the largest chapters in San Diego County. The Ramona clubs meet on Wednesday nights from 6:20 to 8:30.

The seventh-grade through 12th-grade teams will compete on March 10 at Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon. For more information contact Commander Kevin Springfield at 760-315-2323 or email RamonaAwanaClub@att.net.