Livingstone Bowl-A-Thon Saturday

Livingstone Bowl-A-Thon

is Saturday

By Laurie Willis

Livingstone College News ServiceDon't expect anyone to roll a perfect score Saturday when Livingstone College faculty, staff and students bowl at Woodleaf Lanes.

Do expect everyone to have fun while raising money for The United Negro College Fund.

"The Bowl-A-Thon is that event in which we invite our donors, faculty, staff, students and friends to a day of fun-filled fundraising that allows us to raise those much-needed dollars for UNCF," said Deborah Johnson, UNCF Director. "Usually 75 to 100 people come out."

Livingstone College's 16th annual Bowl-A-Thon is being held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $75 per bowler or $500 for teams or business sponsorships, which includes a lane, Johnson said.

Major sponsors of this year's event are Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., First Legacy Community Credit Union, Fisher Realty, Ramsey, Burgin, Smith Architects, Food Lion, Industrial Supply Solutions, Kohl's, Livingstone College National Alumni Association, Mechanics & Farmer's Bank, Noble and Kelsey Funeral Home, Leslie Stokes, Progressive Business Solutions, Student Activities of Livingstone College, Silver Eagle, United Beverages of North Carolina, Wachovia Bank, Dr. Yut Sukkasem, Woodleaf Lanes and WSTP News Radio 1490.

"We truly appreciate all that our sponsors do to enable us to have a successful event year in and year out," Johnson said. "They really help make this a special, fun day for the college. We also want to say thank you to the local businesses for the in-kind donations they've given us for door prizes."

Marsha Mitchell, gift records coordinator, and Professor Sal Alfieri have been instrumental to Johnson with this year's event, she said. Likewise, a committee comprised of State Alexander, senior executive assistant to the president/public relations director, Terri Stevenson, director of student activities, Mandrake Miller, assistant director of student activities, and Jeff Watkins, general executive director at Noble and Kelsey Funeral Home, have also pitched in.

"This year was the first time that Mr. Miller, Mr. Watson and Ms. Stevenson worked on it," Johnson said. "The rest of us have been doing it for years. It's just a matter of going out and getting prizes, calling a lot of the people we normally call to see if they're going to participate again and soliciting new participants."

The event took about two months to plan and is one of several UNCF fundraisers Johnson puts on each year. It's also the most fun one, she said.

"It's an enjoyable day, and we invite the public to come and share in this wonderful event with us," Johnson said.