Olympians from the Hometown Senior Center make a grand entry during the opening ceremony.

Pageantry was on display Thursday, September 25, as seniors from Buffalo, Hometown, and Hurricane gathered at the John Henson Senior Center in Hurricane to compete in the 2025 Putnam Senior Games.

The Putnam Games mirror the worldwide Olympic Games with an opening ceremony in which the torch-bearer lights the Olympic flame and a parade of olympians from each center march into the central gathering area.

Imogene Arthur, 95, of the Hometown Center, the eldest present, performed torch-bearing duties. Following the lighting of the flame, participants carrying a banner identifying their center entered the assembly.

Participants dispersed to compete in events of their own choice and at their own pace. Events were baseball, softball, football and wiffleball throws; 20-yard walk; corn hole; ladder ball; axe throw; lawn darts; Frisbee golf; billiards; washer toss accuracy; and precision football.

Senior Olympic winners were named after judges tabulated the scores. Hometown won gold medal center honors. Hurricane was the silver medalist with Buffalo taking the bronze.

Imogene Athur captured top individual honors by registering the most first place finishes in any age grouping. The Center MVPs were: Imogene Arthur, Hometown; Mike Weaver, Hurricane; and Connie Reddington, Buffalo.

The MVP of each center won a free trip to the 2026 State Senior Olympics which will be held in Keyser next June. When an MVP chooses not to make the long journey to Keyser, the center second place finishers may represent Putnam in the statewide competition.