Bowling to help others in DuPage County
The chance to bowl for a good cause and help people weather a crisis is marking its 14th year this month.
The Galaxy Bowl, a Saturday afternoon competition that generates funds for DuPage Pads, has become so popular that all 30 team slots were filled up weeks before the event. But anyone interested in pitching in is welcome to get involved via donations.
"They can still donate to any of the teams," said Janelle Barcelona, vice president of development for DuPage Pads.
Bowlers will gather from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Fox Bowl on Butterfield Road in Wheaton.
"Each team raises a minimum of $500," Barcelona said. "We have prizes for the top fundraisers. The event has raised more than $30,000 for the past couple of years."
Barcelona said the annual event is DuPagePads' smallest fundraiser of the year, in terms of money raised. The largest is Taste of Hope, an event staged in March that brought in $240,000.
The funds help the nonprofit organization provide services for homeless people, such as temporary and permanent housing, job search assistance and career placement, she said.
"Funds will support families and individuals who are homeless in our community," she said.
In addition to going for the best fundraising numbers, each five-person team also competes against each other to win the day's bowling bragging rights.
Barcelona said the event gives people who don't typically attend benefit dinners and auctions an opportunity to support DuPage Pads' mission through a fun activity.
"We can get more families, we can get younger people," she said.
One group that will be well-represented will be members of the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity and their friends. The international service organization counts pre-law students, law students and legal professionals among its members.
A total of nine teams from alumni and law school chapters of the fraternity have signed up to bowl Saturday.
"Our motto is service to the student, the school, the profession and the community," said Berton J. Maley, a Burr Ridge attorney and a member of the West Suburban Alumni Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta, which, he said, has selected DuPage Pads as its charity.
Maley said the Galaxy Bowl has become somewhat of a tradition for his service group.
"This is the eighth year we've done it," he said. "The most we raised was about $10,000."
Barcelona said DuPage Pads is celebrating 30 years of service to the community.
"Last year, we provided services to 1,200 individuals, including 116 families, 228 children and 90 veterans," she said. "We provided 400 meals per day for those who would otherwise go hungry."
If you go
What: DuPagePads Galaxy Bowl
When: Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 16
Where: Fox Bowl, 1101 Butterfield Road, Wheaton
Registration: Sold out; donations welcome
Donate: dupagepads.org or (630) 682-3846, ext. 2290