Bowling for Kids event is scheduled

Staff Reports

RENO - Nearly 100 Carson City children will compete alongside celebrities and local bowlers in the Bowlers Care for Kids Celebrity Bowl at the National Bowling Stadium on Friday.

Members of the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada will help kick off the 101st American Bowling Congress Championships Tournament by competing on the tournament lanes when the event begins at 7:30 p.m.

In addition to the Boys and Girls Club, the event benefits the Mentor Center of Western Nevada and the Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Among the celebrities expected to compete are Oakland Athletics centerfielder Mark Kotsay, who is married to Carson High graduate Jamie Scott, former Major League pitcher Brad Lesley and former Oakland Raiders lineman Otis Sistrunk.

"The kids are the big winners here," said Michele St. Marie, ABC Director of Marketing Alliance, Promotions and Events. "The kids and the community get to experience the thrill of the ABC Tournament. This is just another way that the tournament benefits the local community."

Other celebrities expected to attend include ABC Hall of Fame member Bill Lillard, 1987 Miss America Kellye Cash, 2003 Miss Nevada Christina O'Neill and 2004 Miss Lake Tahoe Erin Granar.

The event will consist of four bowlers per lane with the celebrity bowlers among them. Anyone interested in bowling in the event can still do so by donating a minimum of $250 per person, $800 for a team of four or be a "mentor" and sponsor both an adult team and a youth team for $1,200. Admission to the event is free.

The Bowlers Care For Kids event is made possible by the American Bowling Congress, the Reno-Sparks Bowling Association, the Reno-Sparks Young American Bowling Alliance, the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada, Mentor Center of Western Nevada, AMF, Dan Kimm & ROCKIT Productions and the National Bowling Stadium.

For more information on Bowlers Care for Kids, visit www.bowlerscareforkids.com.