FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Terry Bigham
IBC Communications
817-385-8379
terry.bigham@bowl.com
KENTUCKY, ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOLS RECEIVE YES FUND GRANTS
ARLINGTON, Texas � Taylorville High School in Taylorville, Ill., and Barren County High School in Glasgow, Ky., each will receive a $2,500 grant through the High School Grant Program of the Youth Education Services (YES) Fund.
The YES Fund High School Grant Program was created to assist high school teams that show financial need because of budget cuts or to assist schools starting a bowling program. Each year, four high schools are awarded a $2,500 grant through the YES Fund. The first grant was awarded in 2010.
For Taylorville High School, the grant will be used to keep the boys� bowling program active after the Taylorville Community Unit School District announced in March 2011 it would end funding as part of district cutbacks. The girls bowling program, which dates to the 1970s, survived the cutbacks.
The district athletic committee agreed to allow the boys program to continue without district funding, and the Taylor Bowling Foundation was formed to provide funding. Taylorville High School athletic director Paul Held said he is confident the program can succeed.
�I find this program to be one of great value to the high school experience,� Held said in his application letter. �The program also reaches a group of students that our traditional sports often don�t include. Everything is in place for this program to be a longstanding, vibrant part of the sports program.�
Barren County High School never has had a bowling program but is ready to jump into the sport that saw a successful debut as part of the state�s athletic program in 2011. More than 80 schools participated in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association�s inaugural bowling season and the KHSAA expects that number to grow to more than 100 schools within the next three years.
Student surveys at Barren County High School indicate 25-30 students are interested in joining the bowling program.
�We have met with our local bowling center and have an agreement for practice and matches,� Barren County Schools Athletic Director Bob Blair said in his application letter. �Everyone is excited about the possibilities. I have been in contact with local schools that already bowl, and I am beginning to schedule matches.�
The High School Grant Program is part of the YES Fund, a joint initiative of the Bowling Proprietors� Association of America and USBC. The YES Fund initiative is supported by top bowling brands including Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, North Pointe, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm and Track.
Go to BOWL.com/highschool for information about the grant program and for the application.
About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 71 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors� Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; The Bowling Foundation; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the International Bowling Media Association; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.
