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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State University's Department of Recreational Sports is celebrating its 100^th year, making it the third oldest program of its kind in the nation. Several events will be held throughout the 2016-17 school year to commemorate the anniversary.

A two-day open house will be held Oct. 28-29 as part of Homecoming Weekend at Oregon State. The open house will take place from 2-4 p.m., Oct. 28 and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at Dixon Recreation Center. Visitors can take a tour of the center and view historic items and photos spanning the last 100 years.

"We honor our roots as an intramural sports program that established the values of sport, leadership, and wellness, and that remain central to all of our programming" said Leah Hall Dorothy, recreational sports director. "We try to offer something for every interest, and consequently, I believe students experience us as the social and physical activity hub for the campus community." 

Recreation Sports was first established as an intramural sports program in 1916 and has expanded dramatically over the years. Currently, 60 percent of the OSU Corvallis campus student body uses OSU recreational facilities annually. As interest in recreational sports has expanded, so has the department, from the establishment of a mountain club in 1947 to the building of Dixon Recreation Center in 1974 (with expansions in 1992 and in 2004).

Around 5,000 people use Dixon Recreation Center daily. The facilities and programs are run by a team of more than 400 student employees. Recreational Sports is 75 percent funded by student fees, and its growth has been guided by student needs, including most recently the creation of Student Legacy Park, which offers lit turf fields for evening play.

A variety of other events will take place during the school year to celebrate the department's centenary, including a 100+ mile challenge from November to June, encouraging participants to track their favorite activities over fall, winter and spring terms. Participants will receive t-shirts upon completion and will be eligible for other prizes. For more information, visit http://recsports.oregonstate.edu/100plus. In addition, a climbing event will be held in February and a 5K in June.