Last updated at 11:30, Thursday, 05 July 2012

Thousands of schoolchildren and their families packed out Derwent Park Stadium in Workington on Tuesday for the spectacular Workington Olympics 2012 event.

• Watch a video clip....

Around 2,600 primary children from 15 schools took part with around 2,700 parents and families cheering from the stands.

Planning for the event began last May, with representatives from each school forming an organising committee led by Judith Henderson, of Beckstone Primary School in Harrington.

Mrs Henderson said: “It was thrilling to see it all come together and I felt very proud to be part of it.

“It was the Workington community pulling together and creating a lasting memory for our children.

“I am proud of all the efforts the children, staff and organising committee have put into it and the generosity of the sponsors was brilliant.

“The young leaders from all the secondary schools were great and it really felt like a partnership between all the schools in the area.”

The schools were supported by the Workington Town RLFC community team.

Marnie Jackson, community manager for the rugby league club, had been involved since the beginning.

She said: “We all thoroughly enjoyed it and it was well worth it to see the stadium that buzzing, I have never seen it that busy and upbeat.

“All the schools have said what a brilliant day they had.

“It was a great atmosphere on that pitch and there was great team spirit.”

Stainburn School steel band and Southfield Technology College samba bands entertained the crowds as the schools arrived and Northside School pupil Connor Torney, 11, ran the event’s own Olympic Torch into the stadium.

Workington mayor Andrew Lawson officially opened the event.

He said: “It is so encouraging to see so many young kids so enthusiastic about sport and we definitely have some future stars here today, London has nothing on Workington right now.”

The opening ceremony saw pupils from all 15 schools forming the Olympic rings on the pitch for a cheerleading dance choreographed by Natalie Smith.

The events then began with children competing in the sprint, hurdles, obstacles race, team long jump, tunnel ball, sock putt and relay.

The event ended with the school children singing the Workington Olympic 2012 song which was specially written for the event by Mike Milner.

The event received donations and support from Nuclear Management Partners, ISS Facility Services Landscaping, Workington Town Council, Amcor, Iggesund Paperboard, Dobies, Stobbarts, New Balance, Asda, Cumbria Constabulary and Salterbeck Residents’ Association.

The schools that took part were: Ashfield Junior, Ashfield Infant, Beckstone, Derwent Vale, Distington, Northside, Seaton Academy, Seaton Junior, St Gregory’s, St Mary’s, St Michael’s, St Patrick’s, Victoria Infant, Victoria Junior, Westfield.

First published at 19:24, Thursday, 14 June 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk