Organizers hope to raise $100,000 this weekend during the 2018 Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraiser to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bartholomew County.
The event is Saturday and Sunday at the Columbus Bowling Center, 3010 State St., and will provide funding for the program which matches at-risk children with positive mentors. Bowling begins at 9 a.m. Saturday and resumes at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Bowl for Kids’ Sake is the only fundraiser during the year for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bartholomew County, said Brittany Gray, senior development officer with Foundation for Youth. In 2017, the event brought in $109,582 for the organization.
“We’ve been very lucky to have a community that gets behind it every year,” Gray said.
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There are 50 children who are seeking a Big Brother or Big Sister, said Kelly Backmeyer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bartholomew County program director. Youth are paired with adults through school-based matches, although there is a need for more community-based matches, Backmeyer said.
Teams are asked to set a fundraising goal of $500 with registration being accepted up until the day of the event. Participants will receive a Bowl for Kids’ Sake T-shirt and be eligible to win other prizes such as gift cards to local restaurants, hotel stays and tickets to community events such as concerts by the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Gray said.
Individuals who are not able to attend the event may pledge money to someone who is bowling or can sign up as a virtual bowler online.
Backmeyer said the Big Brothers Big Sisters program also helps develop relationships.
Once a child receives a match, they are more likely to avoid risks behaviors such as using drugs or alcohol or dropping out of school, Backmeyer said.
“This program is provided to our children and our families in the community at no cost,” Backmeyer said.
The fundraiser also will feature a challenge between Dustin Craig, general manager of Papa’s Grill, and Matt Sanders, who was named Professional Bowlers Association 2017 Rookie of the Year. Craig and Sanders will go head-to-head in a bowling match from 11 to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Sanders, a 23-year-old rookie professional bowler from Evansville, won the association’s Xtra Frame Billy Hardwick Memorial Open in Memphis last year. He is a former two-time All-American with Marion University.
Gray said that for every $500 Craig raises, 10 points will be added to his overall score against Sanders, in an effort to help Craig in the competition and raise more money for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
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For information on the Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraiser or to register, visit foundationforyouth.salsalabs.org/bfks18/index.html.
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