Making a difference one bowling pin at a time

  • Published
  • By Jamie Bearden
  • Director of Public Relations Big Brothers Big Sisters
6/1/2010- DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Sixty bowlers on twelve teams raised $4,239 during the Dyess Bowl for Kids Sake May 7 in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters at the Dyess Bowling Alley here. One team dubbed the B1RS raised $1,331, the most a Dyess team has ever raised for the event.

The B1RS enlisted the help of the 9th Bomb Squadron, a squadron comprised of more than 100 military men and women. Originally, the B1RS' goal was to raise $500 for the fundraiser. However, that goal was quickly surpassed when everyone caught wind that money was being raised with a pie-in-the-face fundraiser.

"We do a lot of fundraisers and it was the only thing we could think of," said B1RS team captain, Senior Airman Felicia Castillo. "We had people donating money left and right so they could get the chance to hit someone with a pie. People could bid on people to throw a pie at and it was fun because the whole squadron was involved."

After the B1RS calculated the total amount of donations raised, they realized they had almost tripled the team's goal.

"I would say it's not difficult to make a difference," said Airman Castillo. "You just have to make the time and effort toward it. Our squadron really made an effort toward this event. It was really fun, especially when you know what you're doing is for a good cause."

Capt. Danielle Kreger, a member of the Company Grade Officers Council, an organization of officers that has sponsored the Dyess Bowl for the past several years, was more than pleased.

"We really had a good turnout," said the Captain. "It didn't look like we were at first, but then at the last minute people turned up and it was very successful."

With the assistance of the Company Grade Officers Council, 60 bowlers and the 9th Bomb Squadron the Dyess Bowl was able to take four children who are waiting for mentors off the waiting list. An accomplishment that isn't easy to attain since it takes $1,000 to fund a match and take a child off the waiting list.

"We have four Dyess kids on the waiting list," said Capt. Kreger. "And raising enough money for them to get off that list made all of the planning and effort worthwhile."