Bowlers Throw A Strike Against Cancer

had a packed house on Saturday during its Fifth Annual Bowl for a Cure breast cancer fundraiser. With 144 bowlers participating this year, the event was able to raise $7,500 according to Striking Lanes manager Joyce Roberts, beating last year's record of $5,000.

Marcella Wing, a 21-year survivor of breast cancer, was one of the original organizers of the event five years ago. It started off by simply collecting money from her bowling league during the month of October for every missed spare. The little donations quickly added up and Wing eventually decided to approach Striking Lane owner Chet Singh about hosting a bigger event. Singh agreed to the idea immediately.

“I told her, 'if you do it, I want to donate some stuff, too,'” Singh said.

The first year ended up being such a success that Singh called Wing after and told her they should make it an annual event. Each year, the Bowl for A Cure fundraiser has raised more money than the last for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

"It's a very fun day, a fun event and this is all community people," said Singh, who adds that many of the past winners of the bowling competition will turn around and donate their winnings to the fundraiser.

Now 80-years-old, Wing says she is retired from the organization aspect of the event, but continues to come out and bowl for a cure, along with her daughters and friends, to support the fundraiser she began and give hope to other women fighting the battle she won. 

“We do it for everybody -- it’s not for us,” Wing said. “We’ve already been there. I have daughters, granddaughters and now I have a great-granddaughter that’s a month old, so we’re doing it for them.”