On April 13 the Hillsdale men’s basketball team will co-host Hospice of Hillsdale’s 19th Annual Bowl-A-Thon fundraising event.
This year marks the fourth year the men’s basketball team has participated in the event. The team tries to participate in two charity events per season – in years past they have chosen Habitat for Humanity and free clinics – but in recent years they have focused on the Bowl-A-Thon, assistant coach Dan Evans said.
“It was really a way for our program to give back to a local charity that does so much for our community and provide us with an opportunity to raise a little bit of money for ourselves. It allows our guys to learn about Hospice and become more aware of some of the things that several of the local charities do,” Evans said.
Hospice of Hillsdale provides care for people and their families who are affected by terminal illnesses. Bowl-A-Thon provides funds for their bereavement program, which is only funded through donations. Kitty Aemisegger, director of Hospice of Hillsdale, said that they usually raise $4,000 to $5,000 through this event.
“Our money goes towards our bereavement programs and we offer those programs to not only hospice families but the community also. We don’t get funded for bereavement so we do fundraising events throughout the year. [Bowl-A-Thon] is probably one of our top events,” Aemisegger said.
The event is broken up into two bowling time allotments. The first session, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., is hosted by the hospice; the National Honor Society from the high school, companies, hospice families, volunteers, and staff typically bowl their two games at that time. After a group lunch at 12 p.m., the basketball team hosts the event from 1-3 p.m.
Each member of the men’s basketball team is responsible for gathering four team members with at least $50 in pledges per team. Evans said that often professors, students, athletes, and families participate.
Senior Anthony Manno said he enjoys having their team banquet on the night of the Bowl-A-Thon so families can participate as well.
“It’s a casual fun, family atmosphere that our families and friends can get together and have fun for a good cause,” Manno said.
