Carpet Bowling Lane Kits Enjoyed by
American Service Men and Women Around the Globe

Thanks to America’s bowling community, when active duty troops around the world have some down time, they can enjoy some fun and competition via a lightweight, portable carpet bowling lane kit, shipped complete with a rubberized bowling ball, ten pins and score sheets.

“Bowling Salutes America’s Troops,” introduced in 2005 by the Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL) a national charity supported by the sport of bowling, has now delivered more than 550 kits to troops deployed on active duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Korea and a host of other countries. The program has been tremendously successful — providing soldiers, sailors and airmen an opportunity to take a break from the stresses of their jobs and enjoy the fun and camaraderie of the sport. The kit consists of a 26 foot long red, white and blue carpet bowling lane, a 5 lb. rubberized bowling ball and lightweight plastic bowling pins. The lane, ball and pins, packaged in a nylon carrying bag, can be set up in a few minutes time, whenever a break in the schedule permits. The kit also includes score sheets and instructions.

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“The response to this campaign has been tremendous – from both our volunteers and the service men and women who have received the kit,” explains BVL Board Chair Darlene Baker. “We have bowling centers and league bowling associations signing up daily to support this effort, and the feedback from the troops has been absolutely wonderful. They love it, and we love it.”

Initial shipments of the lane kits went to 40 bases in Iran and Afghanistan, but as word of the kits spread, requests for more lanes poured in from individual service men and women in outposts around the globe. Reports from the troops indicate that the lanes are in use on rooftops in Baghdad, along military airstrips, on board ships in the Gulf, and in dozens of camps in the Iraqi desert.

From the U.S.S. Enterprise, one seaman says this, “Whenever we find a time to set the lane up, it tends to bring out Sailors from every hatch looking for a chance to relieve some stress. And everyone agrees that this is one of the coolest packages ever…”

From Camp Arifjan, a soldier wrote, "I have to say that this is one of the greatest ideas I have seen come to Kuwait.  Thank you for what you are doing for the troops."

Campaigns to fund the contribution of a kit to the troops are underway at bowling centers from coast to coast. In Daytona Beach, (Fla.) bowlers have already raised enough money to send the lane kit to 12 different former league bowlers from that area currently serving in Iraq. In California, the bowlers at Tustin Lanes (Tustin, Calif.) have purchased 10 lane kits to support the troops.

All Brunswick Bowling Centers have purchased a kit and are working to ensure that a lane is sent from each of their centers. “Brunswick is always interested in supporting our service men and women, and this BVL program was the perfect opportunity for us to join in and lend a hand,” commented Brunswick’s Don Jones, Director of Marketing-Retail.

The program’s success has extended beyond the sport of bowling. In fact, campaigns to purchase and ship lane kits have been coordinated by a range of other organizations and businesses. In Tennessee, a Sunday school class raised money to help the effort. In Rockford, Ill., Riverside Community Bank set up a lane in their lobby and encouraged their customers to donate to the effort. “It was a fun way for Riverside to show our community service,” reports spokesperson Paula Schweinler. In Kentucky, USBC member “Jo” Wisby explains that after she operated the campaign at a local bowling center, she took the idea to the area Wal-Mart, where the manager eagerly agreed to conduct their own campaign, consequently raising enough money to send over two lanes to the husband of a Wal-Mart employee now on active duty in Iraq.

“Bowling Supports America’s Troops” is the latest campaign from the Bowlers to Veterans Link, a national charity founded in 1942 by the sport of bowling to support veterans and active duty military. BVL has already designed and implemented dozens of programs to boost morale through recreational therapy utilizing sports, music, and the arts. Since its inception, BVL has contributed more than $35 million to programs and services supporting the mission. The BVL is located in Metropolitan Washington, D.C. and is guided by representatives of the United States Bowling Congress and the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America.

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