ARLINGTON, Texas - The new Youth Education Services (YES) Fund will be sending a holiday gift to the high school bowling team in Rock Island, Ill. Every member of the team will receive new equipment from one of the YES Fund's founding partners.
In the early morning hours of December 21, fire tore through the Town & Country Bowl in Rock Island. The bowling center along with most of the high school team's equipment was destroyed.
"My bowlers were devastated," Rock Island High School coach Jim Braet said. "I have been coaching there 31 years and feel like we lost a friend."
The fire meant Braet's team in the middle of the season had lost its home center and gear for upcoming competitions. When staff at the International Bowling Campus was contacted about the Rock Island team's loss, they quickly mobilized the YES Fund to help.
"The YES Fund is here to bring the bowling industry together in support of youth bowling," Bowling Proprietors' Association of America Director of Youth Chad Murphy said. "When we heard about this great high school team that lost nearly everything they needed to compete right before Christmas, we decided to step in."
The YES Fund's partner brands Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, Roto Grip, Storm and Track donated new equipment for the Rock Island High School team. Nearby Milan Lanes will be the school's home center the remainder of the season.
"The YES Fund is a great, fantastic thing to keep a program going," Braet said. "This is going to be a boost to the kids' morale."
In November, the YES Fund introduced a new high school grant program. The Yes Fund-High School Grant Program will provide $2,500 to four high school programs annually. The high school teams must show financial need because of budget cuts or other changes, or may request funding to start a new program.
The YES Fund is a joint initiative of the BPAA and the United States Bowling Congress and is made possible by many of the leading brands in bowling including Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm, Track, the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America, the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association, Luby Publishing International and Bowlers Journal International.
About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 71 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; The Bowling Foundation; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the Bowling Writers Association of America; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.
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