RUSK LIONS CLUB
Pictures of Goforth's life in New York shown at meeting
BY BILLY WATSON SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

The Rev. Jim Goforth presented a slide show program at the March 29 Rusk Lions Club meeting. The pictures were taken when his family resided in New York State, where he served as Director of Missions for a five-county area. Rev. Goforth was the pastor of the Rusk First Baptist Church from 1984 until 1992.

He said that Lion Louis Caveness, who was head football coach of Rusk, coached his son during those years. He lived in New York in 1982 where the Winter Olympics were held. The U.S. Team played Finland to win the Gold Medal in 1980.

Some of the pictures he showed were the bobsled finish line, ice castle in Saranac Lake, N.Y., the snowhawk, the Brazilian bobsled team, the 4-H camp overlook, the Iron Man and the Texas Cowboy which was a picture of himself riding a horse in the white snow of New York.

He explained that an iron man consists of a 2.5 mile swim, 13 mile bike ride, and a marathon all in the same day. The winner finishes it in approximately eight hours. The bobsled run was completely rebuilt in 10 months. It became the toughest run in the whole world for winter Olympics.

In 2000, when they had the good will games the Germans who had been some of the top bobsledders and fllugers in the world declined to race because they felt they were going to be defeated. They thought the run in the mountains was going to be too difficult for them.

Roy Reynolds, Rotary Club president, spoke a few moments concerning the June 30 parade to be held in downtown Rusk, honoring all veterans.