By Jim Lockwood
Staff Writer

With the Granite State Senior Games days away, event coordinator and GSSG State Chairman of the Board Charlie Houser brushes up on his math skills during shuffleboard. (Jim Lockwood Photo)

MANCHESTER – Publicity has been a vital part of the recent success of the Granite State Senior Games. But the games themselves haven’t been all that’s earned recognition.

Charlie Houser has found himself in the spotlight, too.

Among his many responsibilities as the GSSG chairman of the board and state coordinator, Houser provides one-minute commercials to local radio stations.

Back in 2001 at a national Senior Games meeting in Reno, Nev., Houser’s commercial won an award for best presentation.

The 18th annual GSSG will take place this year from Saturday, Aug. 6, through Sunday, Aug. 14, at various sporting venues in Manchester and Concord. Events will include archery, badminton, basketball, bowling, cycling, golf, horseshoes, race walking, racquetball, a road race, shuffleboard, swimming, table tennis, tennis, plus track and field.

The events are open to men and women who will turn at least 50 years old by Dec. 31.

Similar to previous years, Houser used radio spots to announce the upcoming GSSG.

According to Houser, WFEA ran the radio spots approximately 40 times, and the Laconia-based WEZS ran the spots roughly 60 times. In addition, Houser helped out with a 30-minute television show for Manchester’s local access station.

As part of a vast publicity effort, Houser also blanketed the area with posters and submitted written announcements for various print publications throughout the state.

Still, spreading the word didn’t stop there.

Houser and his fellow GSSG board members made a handful of appearances at various expos in New Hampshire to recruit potential athletes. Houser also mailed brochures and informational packets to roughly 850 individuals on his mailing list.

“A lot of it happens by word of mouth,” said Houser.

So here’s the big question: Did this massive project work?

Well, more than 400 athletes registered for the 2005 GSSG; two-thirds of them are from the Granite State, Houser said.

This year, the GSSG had its biggest increase in the number of registered athletes, Houser added. The final tally showed a jump of about 50 percent.

In 2000, the GSSG welcomed 195 participants, Houser said.

“I think we’re established. More people are finding out about it all the time,” said Houser, whose planning for this year’s event began the moment the 2004 GSSG concluded.

One of the first things that needed to be done during the planning stages last autumn involved obtaining sponsors and selling advertising space in the program booklet.

In February, the board finalized all the competition sites.

Since he joined the GSSG board in 1995 as the second vice chairman, publicity and fundraising have been Houser’s areas of concentration.

“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel each year,” he said.

Besides being an award-winning planner, Houser was also an award-winning participant in Senior Games events around the country.

Although he hadn’t played horseshoes all year, Houser won the silver medal in his age bracket at the Nevada Senior Games last year.

Last October, Houser won a bronze medal, winning a three-way pitch-off at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah.

He began competing in 1991 and first went to nationals in 1995 in San Antonio, Texas.
This year, he’ll be swimming at the GSSG.