Annual Bowl-A-Rama

by James Coulter

We all love our fine, furry friends, whether they be cats or dogs. We want other people to have the same opportunity to have their own furry friends.

The Humane Society of Polk County works tirelessly to find cats and dogs a forever home with a loving family. Each year, they adopt out more than 1,400 shelter pets.

Unfortunately, owning and operating the only no-kill shelter in Central Florida proves to be an expensive endeavor, which is why they host various fundraisers throughout the year to help cover their expenses.

Do you love your pets? Did you receive yours from a shelter? Do you want other people to be able to adopt their own furry friend from a shelter? Final question: Do you love bowling?

If you answered “yes” to each of these questions, then come on down to Cypress Lanes in Winter Haven this August for Bowl-A-Rama. Not only will you be able to support a good cause by raising proceeds for the Humane Society, but you will also have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets to win big prizes.

For only $200, attendees can participate with teams of four to compete in two games of bowling (with shoes included) and enjoy lunch from a delicious buffet. That’s essentially $50 per person for food, shoes, and bowling!

Not only can they compete for prizes by winning games, but also by meeting special criteria like highest score, most turkeys (three strikes in a row), or even “silly” rules like strikes in odd frames or gutter ball in even frames, explained Lisa Baker, Executive Director for Humane Society of Polk County.

Don’t feel like bowling but still want to donate to their cause? Then feel free to become a sponsor of the event and donate prizes for raffles and auctions. You and your company can even have your logo displayed proudly during the event.

Proceeds will go towards the general operating expenses of the Humane Society’s main facility, located along Dundee Road in Winter Haven. Since 2004, it has been the only no-kill shelter of its kind in Central Florida. The organization has remained committed to making Polk County a no-kill community by 2025.

“Veterinary supplies and services are our biggest expenses. People who help to sponsor this event are not just helping to provide for the costs of the event but also the medical needs of our animals as well,” Baker said. “People in our community love animals and enjoy spending time with their families. At this event, parents can bring the family to have fun and learn the importance of giving back to their community.”

Humane Society's upcoming events include: Sal Moraco Golf Invitational held at Mountain Lake on Mon., Oct. 24, Santa Paws at Jensen’s Corner Bar on Tues., Dec. 6, and their Critter Cruise, which will be setting sail on Feb 12-19, 2023.

Baker loves hosting all of their events, and she appreciates the community coming out to support them and their shelter. She especially looks forward to Bowl-A-Rama, as she loves being able to bowl for a good cause.

“Now, don’t get too excited over that,” she said. “I said l like to bowl, I didn’t say I was good at it!”

Bowl-A-Rama will be hosted on Sun., Aug 7 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Cypress Lanes, located at 2010 Dundee Rd, Winter Haven, FL 33884. Admission is $25 for non-blowers that want to attend the event, and $200 for a 4-person bowling team. Sponsorships are available between $250 to $1,500.

For more information on this and other events, please contact Lisa Baker at the Humane Society at 863-324-5227. Or visit their website at: https://www.humanesocietyofpolkcounty.org/