Children’s Advocacy Center holds 8th Strike Out Child Abuse bowling event

April 28, 2024 Last Updated: April 28, 2024 08:24 PM Community

The Children’s Advocacy Center of Butler County’s eighth annual Strike Out Child Abuse bowling fundraiser was held at Family Bowlaway Fun Center on Sunday, April 28. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

BUTLER TWP. — Roughly 100 bowlers, young and old, and several Butler County community organizations came out to the Family Bowlaway Fun Center on Sunday, April 28 to support the Children’s Advocacy Center, which held its eighth annual Strike Out Child Abuse bowling event.

“We were able to sell all 28 lanes this year,” said CAC assistant director Joshua Strelbicki. “We were completely sold out at preregistration. That was even before the doors opened today.”

Proceeds from the event will benefit the center’s various programs, such as mental health services and covering the cost of court preparation for child abuse survivors who are going through the court system.

This year’s event was a special occasion, as it coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Children’s Advocacy Center, which serves as a safe space for children and families going through an unpleasant domestic situation.

“We provide a child-friendly location so that law enforcement will come there and do forensic interviews, and that’s where they talk to the children,” said executive director Danielle Schmidt. “We have specially trained forensic interviewers that talk to kids who have been victims of abuse, and while they're talking to them, the partner agencies can watch those interviews. It stops a child from having to go to all of those different places, and they just come to one place.”

The news hasn’t been all good out of the CAC, according to Schmidt.

“Unfortunately, we've had higher numbers of cases this year,” Schmidt said. “We've had more kids and families at the center this year than we have in the past. So we’d love to see that number go down.”

Funding came from individuals and organizations who reserved lanes, as well as those who paid for tickets for the basket raffle and 50/50 raffle. Among the prizes in the basket raffle was an original piece of art by Paul Means, who also painted the mural at the Child Advocacy Center building on Mahood Road.

Other activities offered at the Strike Out event included a “wine toss” game — a carnival-style ring toss game with bottles of wine — as well as laser tag on the bowling center’s upper floor.

Among the community organizations that reserved lanes at the Family Bowlaway were the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, the Alliance for Nonprofit Resources, Taylor Land Management, and the Hoagie Shop, which also catered the event.

“I came out to be part of the event to support their fundraising efforts,” said Craig Dorin of the Alliance for Nonprofit Resources. “We obviously want to help stamp out any kind of child abuse in the community, so we definitely want to be supportive to this event.”

Even bowling royalty came out to roll a few at this event, such as Lillian Whitehouse, the currently reigning Miss Pennsylvania Jr. Teen, who came out to support her brother.

“My brother is a survivor of child abuse,” Whitehouse said. “Whenever the Center does something, I want to try and help out because of my brother because he’s a survivor. I always love helping others and volunteering and just making appearances.”

Arianna Somerville, 3, selects her bowling ball during the Children’s Advocacy Center of Butler County’s eighth annual Strike Out Child Abuse bowling fundraiser at Family Bowlaway Fun Center on Sunday, April 28. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Emily Snow bowls during the Children’s Advocacy Center of Butler County’s eighth annual Strike Out Child Abuse bowling fundraiser at Family Bowlaway Fun Center on Sunday, April 28. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Arianna Somerville, 3, bowls during the Children’s Advocacy Center of Butler County’s eighth annual Strike Out Child Abuse bowling fundraiser at Family Bowlaway Fun Center on Sunday, April 28. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Arianna Somerville, 3, bowls during The Children’s Advocacy Center of Butler County’s eighth annual “Strike Out Child Abuse” bowling fundraiser at Family Bowlaway Fun Center on Sunday, April 28. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (4/28/2024)

Arianna Somerville, 3, reacts to her bowling score during The Children’s Advocacy Center of Butler County’s eighth annual “Strike Out Child Abuse” bowling fundraiser at Family Bowlaway Fun Center on Sunday, April 28. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (4/28/2024)

Arianna Somerville, 3, selects her bowling ball during The Children’s Advocacy Center of Butler County’s eighth annual “Strike Out Child Abuse” bowling fundraiser at Family Bowlaway Fun Center on Sunday, April 28. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (4/28/2024)