Sparing no expense: YMCA event aims to strike out youth membership costs
BUTLER TWP — Carol Kraus and Pat Micire live in Cranberry Township and Wexford, respectably, and don’t consider themselves bowlers, despite staying physically active at the YMCA.
But Sunday afternoon the two traveled to Butler, slipped into bowling shoes and took to the lanes at the Family Bowlaway Fubn Center to help the Butler YMCA’s Reach & Rise children’s program.
As members of the YMCA, Kraus and Micire have seen its benefits, especially for youth.
“We would do anything to support the kids,” Kraus said.
Bowl for the Kids is a recurring fundraiser for the Butler YMCA, and Sunday was the 28th annual event.
Christina Dreher, development director at the YMCA, said Bowl for the Kids is one of the YMCA’s biggest fundraisers, and the organization had a goal of raising $20,000 this year.
With every lane posted with the logo of a local business sponsoring the event, each one filled with families, groups of friends and some members of the alley’s leagues, Dreher was certain that goal would be reached.
“We have over 200 people here, which is really good,” Dreher said. “Even the workers here say they can’t wait for the Bowl for the Kids day.”
Reach & Rise is a youth group mentoring program that aims to empower youth ages 6 to 17 in overcoming challenges, such as low self-esteem, unsatisfactory academic progress, peer difficulties and poor decision-making skills.
Dreher said the mission of Reach & Rise — and the general mission of the YMCA — is enough to motivate many people to support its fundraisers.
“I’m absolutely sure we’ll make that goal, everyone is so supportive of the Reach & Rise kids,” she said.
In addition to the bowling, the event also had a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction, which included some works of art created by Reach & Rise members.
Hanna Boozel, marketing and events specialist at the Family Bowlaway, said even in just the past three years, the event has grown, in part because the center recently added the Back Alley restaurant section.
She also said a bowling alley is a good location for community fundraising events, because anyone can participate in the sport, from novices to experts.
“We’re all about helping the community,” Boozel said. “We have bowling leagues here six times a week and this is a great way for them to come out support it too.”
Dreher said she saw many members and families registered at the YMCA at the event throughout the day. She said the YMCA is often supported by its members at fundraisers.
Micire and Kraus were only a few of those members.
“We love supporting the Y,” Micire said.
