Water Works

"This is going to be a learning year," says Jim Gately, a retired teacher and one of those serving as organizers of the inaugural Beaver Lake Games -- both for him and for the students competing in a contest designed to test both academic and athletic process. Saturday's first-ever Beaver Lake Games is three years in the making, Gately says.

The motivation for creating the games comes from several factors, says Gately, who is president of presenting organization Association for Beaver Lake Environment (ABLE).

He talked to schools throughout the region seeking participants. Importantly, events such as kayaking and archery do not require the build of a football player. For some with nontraditional talents, this provides students an opportunity to show their skills.

"You never have an opportunity to represent your school in that way," Gately says.

The games also turn attention to host site Beaver Lake and protecting that resource. The more connected to the water source people are, the more likely they are to protect it, Gately reasons.

While the student competition is a focus, a public element exists at two locations. Just outside the Shewmaker Center on the NorthWest Arkansas Community College campus in Bentonville, an environmental fair will present educational and hands-on opportunities for people of all ages.

Additionally, the general public will get a chance to try several of the same events offered during the student competition. Guests can attempt archery, shoot air guns or kayak at Prairie Creek Recreation Area on Saturday afternoon.

Gately says he's already seeing interest in next year's event.

-- Kevin Kinder

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