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| Bowlers raise money for local organization |
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| News | |||
| Written by Aaron Cedeño | |||
| Wednesday, 10 March 2010 09:00 | |||
His face a mixture of excitement and trepidation, Kane Bottorff eyed the electronic scoreboard.  When the lights blinked to tell him it was his turn, he hurried to the ball return machine, from which he carefully lifted his bowling ball. As the gutter-protectors slid up he sent his ball sailing down the lane, smiling when it took down a number of white pins. A “little” in the “Bigs in School” program within Louisburg USD 416, he then rushed back to tell his “big,” Louisburg High School student Logan Johnson, about his success. The scene was a sampling of just a few moments Saturday afternoon at Olathe Lanes East bowling center, where the annual Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami County “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” fund-raiser was running full-steam ahead. But it was representative of what the organization is all about. 2010 marks the ninth year of Big Brother Big Sister’s existence in Miami County, and thus their ninth year of participation in the annual bowling fund-raiser – a national event. This year, 31 teams from throughout Miami County entered, raising a minimum of $100 per bowler to spend a couple of hours popping the pins for a good cause. After the Osawatomie Police Department received an e-mail from Big Brothers Big Sisters requesting their participation, Officer Angela Peuser gathered four of her fellow law enforcement officials and took to the streets, soliciting donations for the cause from local businesses. All told, they raised almost $700, and Peuser said she wasn’t surprised by the response. “I think once we got out there in the community and asked, and advised them of what we were doing and what it was for (they were more than willing to help),” she said. “We have a good community that is willing to make it better for the next generation than what we have now.” Though this was the first year of participation for the Osawatomie police, many groups are long-time veterans of the event. A team of teachers at Paola Middle School, for example, bowled for their third straight year in 2010. “We know some kids in our school that need a big brother or big sister,” said Cindy Dial, team captain. “If this is something we can do to help get some money for people to do it, that’s what we want to do.” Bowl for Kids’ Sake is the organization’s biggest fund-raiser annually, said Erin Lyon, director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami County. Each of the $22,760 raised Saturday is guaranteed to stay within Miami County and, with the loss of grant funding due to the economy, absolutely critical. Fortunately, the organization is one which Miami County has embraced with open arms. LHS junior Jane Wallerstedt and her twin brother, Max, made the decision to get involved in “Bigs in School” this year after her older sister had a positive experience as a “big.” It’s been an experience of which she’s enjoyed every minute. “A lot of people talk about it,” she said, when asked about the program’s success. “I talk about it with my friends. You have friends that go do it and it just makes it more appealing to teenagers.”
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