Popolana 2012
POPOLANA: Sports, recreational and entertainment event
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On the last weekend in April, Rovinj hosted Popolana - sports, recreational, entertainment, culinary and charity event that was held this year under the slogan "Join in!”.
Sports, recreational and entertainment event where guests and locals participate in various sports and recreational events in the main town square with numerous sponsorship awards. The event has humanitarian character.
PROGRAM:
27/4 Friday
9:30 – 11:00
Sports-recreation and entertainment program for kindergartens with presentation of the organization of children's birthdays in Maistra by Maistra entertainment team
11:00
Performance: Brass Band and Majorettes
11:00 – 14:00
Sports and recreation program for Rovinj schools
28/4 Saturday
08:00 – 13:00
“Popolana” Spear-Fishing Competition
08:30 – 12:30
Sports fishing contest – Valdibora waterfront and from the boat
09:00
“1+1=million steps“
Departure of members of Association of persons with disabilities and Rovinj's Association of Pensioners with friends „Veliko rovinjsko srce“(“Rovinj’s big heart”), section Rovinj’s Half Marathon
10:00
Beginning of the “Nordic walking parade”
10:30 – 13:30
Chess Tournament “Popolana 2012” at the hotel “Adriatic”
10:30 – 11:30
“1+1= Rovinj - Rovigno exercise“ - an hour of exercise for all citizens and guests
11:30 – 13:00
Performance of Rovinj kindergartens. Dance program - KRG Arabesque - GK „Roxanne“–Choirs: „Nuvola“, „Oldtimer“
12:00 – 12:30
“1+1= million steps“ arrival of members of Association of persons with disabilities and pensioners with friends
13:00 – 14:00
Awards ceremony
14:00 – 15:00
Official weighing of caught fish and awards ceremony
15:30 – 18:00
Open tournament in electric darts “Popolana 2012“
16:00
Beginning of the cycling race „Popolana 2012“
17:30 – 18:00
Awards ceremony
29/4 Sunday
11:00
Beginning of the “8th Rovinj's half marathon“(21,095 km)
11:00
Beginning of the 5 km recreational race
11:05
Majorettes - gift to the town - designed in celebration of their 15th anniversary
13:30 - 14:00
Awards ceremony
14:00 – 16:00
Gastro presentation of dishes prepared of fresh fish at the waterfront - KPA „Rovinj“- Maistra
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On the last weekend in April, Rovinj hosted Popolana - sports, recreational, entertainment, culinary and charity event that was held this year under the slogan "Join in!”. As its slogan says, the 6th edition of Popolana was intended for everyone aged seven trough seventy-seven years and it managed to gather more than two and a half thousand participants on the Rovinj's waterfront. Children from all kindergartens and elementary schools in Rovinj participated in this three-day event, as well as members of numerous sporting clubs and associations. For three days Rovinj was promoting sports and competition and showed that the important thing is not to win but to take part and, most importantly, have fun.
In a series of different events and competitions, it would be difficult and probably unfair to single out anyone in particular. All the citizens of Rovinj gave their contribution to this event, whether with active participation or by coming to the square and cheering for the competitors. Everyone gave their best, including children, the members of the Association of Persons with Disabilities and the Association of Pensioners, whose members were also active participants of the section of Rovinj’s half marathon.
The first day of Popolana was dedicated to the youngest ones and marked by attractive performances of the Brass Band and Rovinj Majorettes, while Saturday's events were opened by Spear Fishing Championship and sports fishing competition. During the day various events took place in the square - the start line of Nordic walking and bicycle race, tournament in electronic darts and chess, attractive performances of the members of Arabesque rhythmic gymnastics, gymnasts of Roxanne club and Nuvola and Oldtimer choirs. Part of the sports and recreational program was designed for junior sports categories with tennis players, basketball players, handball players, karate practitioners and Tae-kwon-do club members showing their skills. Particularly impressive was one-hour workout named "1+1 = Rovinj works out" joined by a number of locals and guests.
Special guests and friends of Rovinj joined Saturday's events - Ivan Stanić, the best Istrian marathon runner and the only Croatian representative at the recently held London Marathon, Gracijano Turčinović, president of the Association of Persons with Disabilities, and hand-biker who will compete at the Paralympic Games in London, and Maria Luisa Malvestiti, marathon runner from Italy, who is an active participant in all editions of Popolana. As a sign of gratitude for their arrival and engagement, the town representatives, Mayor Giovanni Sponza, Deputy Mayor Marino Budicin and the director of the Tourist Board and Rovinj, Odete Sapač, presented them with paintings by the artist Ružica Mikulić from Sarajevo as gifts.The young authors of this year's logos of Popolana - Adnan Hođić, whose drawing has found its place on commemorative T-shirts of the event, as well as Tea Ciprić and Alessia Petrović were also rewarded.
The third and the last day of Popolana was marked by the 8th Rovinj Half Marathon and competitive and recreational five-kilometre running event with almost three hundred entrants. Ethiopian Elko Ashenafi was the fastest participant in the Half Marathon, while the recreational race was won by Slovenian Anže Čadež. There was also an attractive performance of Rovinj Majorettes followed by a tasting of dishes prepared from fresh fish caught the day before by the members of the Club of Underwater Activities Rovinj.
Within the Popolana, which is being promoted under the slogan "With Sports from Streets and Squares to Nature and Tourism", as usual, there was a great humanitarian campaign named "1+1 = one million steps." All funds raised from registration fees and bought T-shirts with the logo will be forwarded to the Association of Persons with Disabilities of the town of Rovinj. A three-day event was held under the auspices and in organization of the Union of Sports of the town of Rovinj and the main sponsors were the Rovinj's Tourist Association, the Town of Rovinj and Maistra Company.
