DANVILLE — Volunteers will be in the gutter — and laughing about — March 14 to help Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vermilion County.

Teams of five will take to the bowling alleys from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to raise money in the annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraiser.

Anyone can participate by getting a team together consisting of a captain and four mates. The captain then obtains a captain packet with a pledge sheet, and works to get co-workers to pledge money.

Once pledges are collected from family and friends, the pledge packets are returned. At this point the team can sign up for a scheduled time to bowl at either Lincoln Lanes in Danville or Fast Lanes in Hoopeston.

“Paul Woodard donates the use of Lincoln Lanes that day, and Doug Waggoner donates the use of Fast Lanes,” said Rose Henton, the director of Big Brothers Big Sisters. “This is the first year for Hoopeston.”

Rick Rotramel is a co-chairman of Bowling for Kids’ Sake with Jolie Burris.

“It is awesome and a fun time to help children in town who need mentors,” Rotramel said. “We do the bowling because the alleys are donated for a whole day.”

Teams will bowl for 1½ hours for free, with pizza being provided and prizes donated from businesses. Those who have more than $100 in pledges can earn even more prizes, and those with $250 in pledges are entered in a special drawing for a prize worth more than $200. There also are trophies for highest and lowest scores, and small individual turkey trophies for those who have three strikes in a row. There will be silent auctions, raffles and baskets available.

A traveling trophy can be won by any business with at least five employees entered. This traveling trophy is named after Christina McVey, who was a NACCO employee and was the team that won the first year.

“Christina helped to raise lots of money for Big Brothers Big Sisters before she passed,” Henton said, “and so Laura Williams, past director of Big Brothers Big Sisters, felt that the trophy should be named in her honor.”

The three teams with the highest amount of donations get extra prizes. More than $2,000 was given per team last year. A few winning teams from the past have been Danville Area Community College, Quaker Oats Co. and Furry Co.

Raffle tickets will be sold to win a trip to Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Christine Martin of the BBBS staff came up with this idea, and thought it would be good to have a five-day, four-night get-away to a two-bedroom cabin in the Smokey Mountains.

“The cabin has a Jacuzzi, a hot tub on the deck and a pool table,” Martin said. “Included in the package are two tickets to the Comedy Barn, which is family friendly, and two tickets to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Aquarium.”

Proceeds from these activities will go toward year-around projects at the Big Brothers Big Sisters, such as background checks on mentors, programs for recruitment and training case managers.

Anyone who would like to give can contact http://firstgiving.com/bbbsvc to donate or to set up a donate on page so family and friends can give online. No teams are necessary for this, although the amount raised is printed so volunteers can be eligible for prizes.

“In the past there have been about 15 teams or 75 people,” Henton said. “Some even have their own T-shirts or towels made up.”

Teens may participate. Adults on teams may bring their own children when they are bowling.

“Dr. Ken Eneli has issued a challenge to other doctors to support Big Brothers and Big Sisters,” Henton said.



FAST FACT

Anyone who is interested in gathering pledges for Big Brothers Big Sisters and bowling is urged to call 446-6601.