Soldiers, Airmen throw free frames at annual Bowl-a-Thon

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ty-Rico Lea
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce hosted its 14th Annual Bowl-a-Thon at the Center Bowl in Anchorage during Military Appreciation Week for the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson community.

The Bowl-a-Thon lasted from 2:30 to 7 p.m.

More than $20,000 is raised at the event annually to fund the Military Appreciation Picnics, which take place on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson each year.

Volunteers consisted of Anchorage Chamber of Commerce members, employees and service members from all branches of the armed forces.

"The Bowl-a-Thon is a fundraising event created by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce to help fund various future events, such as the joint barbecue that we have in the summer for the military members and their families on JBER," said George Vakalis.
Vakalis also serves on the board of directors and chairman of the military committee of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.

Vakalis was at the event to personally thank all of the military members who attended that day.

"The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce has 120 businesses that donated to the event," Vakalis said. Such businesses were the University of Phoenix, United States Air Force Reserve and Armed Services YMCA of Alaska.

"Many other organizations purchased lanes for our military members to bowl free and military members were more than welcome to fill those slots." Vakalis said.

Service members such as Sgt. Leandre Weaver, a native of La Porte, Texas, who serves with the 545th Military Police company, Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew McIntosh, a native of Boulder City, Nev., who serves with the 673d Civil Engineer Squadron, and Senior Airman David Gonzalez, a native of Bogotá, Colombia, who serves with the 673d Aerospace Medicine Squadron, came out to join the fundraiser.

"I'm happy to attend these events, especially those that support the military community," Weaver said after finishing his first game.

Participants were allowed to bowl a total of three free games.

"If they keep sponsoring these types of things, I'll keep coming," Weaver said. This was his second time participating in the Bowl-A-Thon.

Only a few lanes down from Weaver was McIntosh, bowling despite being in an arm cast after recently injuring himself in a snowboarding accident.

"This is my third time participating in this event," McIntosh said.

He explained that Airmen from his squadron felt the desire to come out and join the occasion.

"The way these Bowl-a-Thons are every year, I expect a lot more people to show up for the next one." said Weaver.