President's Perspective
Why We Bowl

(Jan. 5, 2010)  In a fairly recent President’s Perspective message, I made light of the reality that means some people have to stage bowl-a-thons to pay medical bills. In that column, I said, “Charity is no substitute for justice.”

But when there is no chance for justice, then charity is the way we must go.

For nearly two decades, the Community Services Agency of the Metropolitan Washington AFL- CIO has sponsored a tournament called “Bowling for Gold” to help replenish the treasury of its Emergency Services Fund. Union dues cannot go to the fund, so it depends on individuals’ support. As a mediocre bowler, I’m happy to do my part.

Here’s how it works. You pull together a gang of four (but preferably five) bowlers and come up with a team name. Each bowler pays $25 to participate. Then each bowler carts around a sign-up sheet to get pledges from co-workers, friends and family. People can either pledge a certain amount ($10, $20, $25, or whatever suits their fancy) or, if they think you’re more mediocre a bowler than even you think you are, they can make a per-pin pledge.. Say you roll a three-game series of 350, and your co-worker has pledged 10 cents a pin. That would come to $35.

There are prizes for performance at the bowling tournament, the ever-popular 50-50 raffle, and awards for both individual and team high game and high series. More importantly, it’s one of the two biggest fund-raisers of the year for the Emergency Services Fund. The other is a golf tournament (I was such a bad golfer in high school that I once took a divot out of an Astroturf tee).

“Bowling for Gold,” which this year is being staged on Sunday, Jan. 31, has expanded to the point where it needs two “roll-offs”: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The Washington-Baltimore Guild team traditionally bowls the earlier line, though we’d be happy to put our name to a second team if it can be ready roll at 1.

If you’d like to make a pledge to “Bowling for Gold,” e-mail me at mpattison@catholicnews.com and I’ll add you to my growing list. Or e-mail me if you’d like to bowl. The event will be at Crofton Lanes in Crofton, just east of Bowie, and a good time will be had by all.

And, as we are every year, we’re open to suggestions for wickedly subversive or groan-inducing pun names. No prizes for the winning entry, just the thanks of a grateful union.