Bowling tournament strikes up fun

FINDLAY — It's time to dust off those bowling balls and shoes and get ready for the 42nd Bowling for Kids' Sake. The event — scheduled April 5-6 at Sportsman Lanes — is a fundraiser of the Children's Mentoring Connection which is now in its 51st year. "So we've not slowed down as we've entered into the next half of the new 50. We are full speed ahead," said the agency's executive director Stacy Shaw. The bowl-a-thon will have three shifts both days at 11 a.m., 1 or 3 p.m., although Shaw said the early session on April 5 is already full. "But the rest of them we do have some space although they're filling up, she said. "So we hope to pack the lanes and get everybody in." Around 90 teams participated last year, Shaw said, adding that the number of registrations this year is close to that now. The goal for the fundraiser is $100,000, she noted. All of the money stays local to serve youth involved with CMC and support all of its mentoring programs. The agency offers traditional one-on-one matches, while school-based mentoring programs are available in a number of schools. Chamberlin Hill was added in the fall and McComb, in January, she said. The programs in McComb, Cory-Rawson, Van Buren and Arcadia involve high school students who mentor the elementary students. Other high school students do schools in Findlay including Chamberlin Hill, Wilson Vance, Bigelow Hill, Glenwood and Donnell, she said. Some adults join in as well, especially with the afterschool programs, said Shaw. A PALS program is available for volunteers who might not have the time to commit to the community- or school-based programs. These volunteers participate in activities with youth who are on the waiting list. The agency hosts two activities a month that are open to children in the PALS program as well as matches. Shaw said that the organization also has a scholarship program through its foundation which allows high school mentors as well as the mentees to apply. "I love seeing their essays and seeing how much as a high school student they have grown," Shaw said. She said several students who applied have been involved in the program since their sophomore year. "So three years in a row they came back. It really speaks to the importance of it for them, too, to see them making a difference, really watching them grow in empathy as well as a lot of other 21st century skills that are going to help take them further," she said. Students also learn about the importance of volunteerism, Shaw said. People can form their own bowling teams of five with family members, friends and co-workers. There are also several different "battles," including a battle of the banks, the badges, brokerage firms and dentists, which was a new category last year, she said. "That's a fun way for businesses to get involved and have some fun things that go on. So we have many of our businesses and corporate sponsors coming back year after year and using that as a team building experience," said Shaw, The goal for each team is to raise $250 which provides an hour of bowling, shoes, T-shirt and a chance to win a door prize. Group pictures of the teams will also be taken again. Team registrations are being accepted at cmchancock.org/events and clicking on the "Bowling" link. Donations can be made online or taken the day the bowl. Shaw said CMC is also still taking sponsorships. "If you want to sit and push the ball, if you want to turn around and spin it between your legs, if you want to use the bumper guards, if you want to use the dinosaur, we're super flexible on that. It's really about having fun and you know maybe we'll get a few strikes along the way," she said. Some teams get creative and make their own T-shirts, themes and fundraising ideas. "We've had teams come and do a 80s theme and so their whole team dresses up that way," she said. There are guest announcers for each shift who award trophies for the most spirited theme and the best dressed team. And if some of the "battle" teams are bowling during the same shift, Shaw said they will be put beside each to get "a little bit of that excitement going." "We talk a lot about the businesses, but it's also a grew family event to come and do, if it's neighbors, church friends, whatever that might be. So it's a great opportunity to engage because not all events like this are family-friendly that anybody can come," she said. There will also be raffle baskets and 50/50 drawings. Each 50/50 drawing will also have a runner-up and be entered to win a basket, she said. Students in the teaching professions at Millstream Career Center will hold their fifth annual cornhole tournament on May 9 to benefit the agency. And you don't have to be a good bowler to participate, she said. Two lanes have also been donated by the sponsors to allow any mentor/mentee match (past or present) to come through the weekend and bowl together for free. If they just give us a call, we'll let them know what times are available. "It's a tradition and it's part of the community," said Shaw. "It would be hard to duplicate in the way of bringing so many people together at once as well as to being something that can be family-friendly as well as businesses being involved." The local agency was formed in 1974 as an affiliate of the national Big Brothers organization. Independent fundraising was begun to supplement the money it receives from the United Way of Hancock County. Because of its affiliation with Big Brothers at the time, the local unit joined with the national tradition of holding an annual bowling tournament. The first tournament was held on a Sunday afternoon in April 1984 and raised just over $6,000. The tournament continued even after the local group split from the national Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2004 and became the Children's Mentoring Connection of Hancock County. For more information, check the website or call 419-424-9762.