By Kathy L. Collins
The 5th Annual “Bowling Your Brains Out” will be held on Sunday, November 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Alley at South Shore located at 10221 Big Bend Rd. in Riverview. This annual event is organized by Roni-Kay Lopez of Riverview.
“Bowling Your Brains Out” has a dual purpose. One, with the event, Lopez strives to raise awareness of epilepsy, a disease that affects 2.2 million Americans. Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures that affect a variety of mental and physical function.
Second, the event is a means to raise funds to support Epilepsy Services of West Central Florida (ESWCF), a non-profit organization that was established in 1973 to provide support to patients with epilepsy. ESWCF’s mission is to promote health and facilitate healthy lifestyle choices for people with seizure disorder.
Despite the fact that epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder in the United States, it is also one of the least understood chronic medical conditions. That is why Lopez works hard to make sure that 100% of the funds raised benefits ESWCF. This is an organization that aids over 700 patients in our community.
The cost to bowl is $25 per bowler. There are five man teams. In addition, sponsorships are available, and these include lane sponsors of $250, $500 and $1,000. New this year is a Pool Tournament and a Dart Tournament with first, second and third place winners. Lopez said, “Not everyone enjoys bowling. We wanted to have everyone who wanted to attend, do so. As such, we added the pool and dart tournaments.”
In addition to bowling, darts and pool, there will be raffle items and a silent auction. There will be seasonal/holiday gift baskets including Vera Bradley, Hilton Hotel packages, autographed items from the Tampa Bay Rays, the Buccaneers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. You will also find kitchen items, gift cards, bowling balls, bags and more.
ESWCF’s principal office is located at 3811 W. Sligh Ave in Tampa. For more information, please visit www.epilepsyservices.com.
