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By KENT LOWE
It's a nice surprise when a $110,000 gift to an organization suddenly gains 28 grand over a period of two days.
And so, it was even a greater pleasure for the Capital Area chapter of the American Red Cross to accept a check for $138,015.21 from the Bowling Proprietors Association of
America. The check, originally announced in a press release for the $110,000 total, represents donations from individuals who made a donation at a bowling center; funds raised during "Operation Relief Lanes" and similar bowling center fundraisers; donations from bowling leagues; money from bowling center
and industry employees, such as USBC and Qubica AMF Worldwide employees. The presentation came Friday afternoon at Baton Rouge's Circle Bowl. Among those attending was "Kip" Holden, the Mayor-President of Baton Rouge who talked about bowling's relationship with the city starting with the successful
ABC Tournament in the River Center and the use of much of the wood from the lanes for the local Habitat for Humanity and now the continued relationship between and bowling and the area. "What that tells me is this about the quality of your organization," said Holden. "It's that you have a heart. That
heart is so big and so generous that you chose not to stay into your own comfort zone. You saw people hurting in various areas and you stepped up and met the challenge and said I want to do something else on behalf of those victims of Katrina and Rita. I want you to know that from the bottom of our hearts
you are lifelong friends for us who will be there for you and let us march forward together and show those who are down and out that there are wonderful people like you who care." In the long run, the things Baton Rouge has done for bowling in recent times has developed a relationship that the BPAA
was more than happy to continue to sustain. In essence, the relationship of a bowling center is also about being part of the community. "It really goes to the heart of bowling as a business. When you look at it, we had this tremendous growth of bowling in the '50s and '60s and it really part of
America and what we've lost site of is that bowling's strength was as a part of the community. Today, that hasn't changed. It doesn't matter what name is on the sign outside, the bowling center function because they are part of the community," said BPAA President-Elect and operator of Don Carter's
All-Star Lanes in Florida, Texas and Baton Rouge, Joe Schumacker. Thanks to bowling's community and ideas within the community of bowlers, Vic Howell happily accepted a nice check that is so very needed at this time. |
