Local charities to benefit from USBC Women's Championships
April 11, 2011
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Along with the filled hotel rooms and tourism dollars expected to be generated by the 2011 USBC Women's Championships, Syracuse-area charities also will benefit from the tournament.
An ongoing relationship between USBC and Habitat for Humanity will continue this year as materials used to transform the Oncenter Convention Center into a state-of-the-art 48-lane bowling arena eventually will be used for local building projects, while proceeds from a special bowling event on April 13 will benefit five other charities.
Construction crews began working on the tournament venue on Feb. 21 and used enough lumber and materials to build five three-bedroom homes. They also used more than six miles of wiring to handle the tournament's electrical needs.
The venue, which took 42 days to construct, includes 48 lanes, office and vendor space, a squad room, locker room and concessions area. The set-up also includes the world's largest mobile scoreboard.
The 2011 Women's Championships kicked off April 7 as the first of more than 30,000 bowlers took to the tournament lanes, and shortly after the event ends its 88-day run on July 3, Syracuse Habitat for Humanity will help dismantle the venue and take all salvageable materials. USBC already has donated a surplus of dry wall and dry wall supplies not used during the construction process.
"I think this is great," said Greg Wright, Faith Relations and Deconstruction Coordinator for Syracuse Habitat for Humanity. "It saves us a small fortune on the building supplies, and that's significant for us."
Wright also marveled at the careful assembly of the venue, which will enable Syracuse Habitat for Humanity the re-use of the materials for future homes.
USBC and the local Habitat for Humanity chapters have been working together since the 2002 USBC Open Championships in Billings, Mont., and the relationship has been extended to the Women's Championships, which was held in a convention-center setting for the first time in 2010. With help from Syracuse Habitat for Humanity, it is expected to take only 10 days to return the convention center to its pre-tournament condition.
"We are very excited about the opportunity to work with Habitat for Humanity again this year in Syracuse," said Greg Moore, USBC Director of Tournaments Planning and Production. "We use a lot of materials to construct our tournament venue, and it's very rewarding to know that even after we've moved on to the next city, many of those items will be used to build home for families in need, and we'll always be a part of the Syracuse community."
While competition at the Women's Championships is scheduled from 7 a.m. until 1 a.m. daily, a short day in the schedule will give local bowling enthusiasts not registered to compete in the tournament an opportunity to enjoy the Women's Championships experience, too.
The exclusive charity event will run from 7-10 p.m. on April 13 and feature live music, food and bowling. Tickets are $75 per person, and $60 of that will be donated back to the following local charities: Make A Wish, The Crouse Foundation, Vera House, American Heart Association, American Red Cross and Susan G. Komen Foundation.
For tickets to this special event, visit www.oncenter.org/box-office-and-tickets.
"The Oncenter is excited to be able to allow the public, for this one night only, an opportunity to be a part of this fantastic championship event, while at the same time, giving back to local charities that support our community year round," said Terri Toennies, Oncenter CEO & President. "We are thankful to USBC for thinking about our community and assisting us with producing a unique and positive evening of bowling, music and fun."
The 2011 Women's Championships is the 92nd edition of the storied event, which was contested for the first time in 1916 and is open to all female USBC members. Outside of the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., where it has been held every third year since 1997, the tournament was held traditional bowling centers until making its convention-center debut last year in El Paso, Texas.
The tournament also was held in Syracuse in 1940 and 1954, attracting 1,185 and 4,538 teams, respectively. The 1999 Open Championships brought more than 50,000 bowlers to Syracuse.
Sponsors for the 2011 USBC Women's Championships sponsors include Turning Stone Resort and Casino, official brackets sponsor, Humana, official registration sponsor, Miller Lite and Molson Canadian, official beer sponsors. Supporting sponsors include Storm Bowling Products, Nationwide Insurance, The Oncenter, Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau, Caz Limo & Tours, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and Brunswick, official lane provider.
An ongoing relationship between USBC and Habitat for Humanity will continue this year as materials used to transform the Oncenter Convention Center into a state-of-the-art 48-lane bowling arena eventually will be used for local building projects, while proceeds from a special bowling event on April 13 will benefit five other charities.
Construction crews began working on the tournament venue on Feb. 21 and used enough lumber and materials to build five three-bedroom homes. They also used more than six miles of wiring to handle the tournament's electrical needs.
The venue, which took 42 days to construct, includes 48 lanes, office and vendor space, a squad room, locker room and concessions area. The set-up also includes the world's largest mobile scoreboard.
The 2011 Women's Championships kicked off April 7 as the first of more than 30,000 bowlers took to the tournament lanes, and shortly after the event ends its 88-day run on July 3, Syracuse Habitat for Humanity will help dismantle the venue and take all salvageable materials. USBC already has donated a surplus of dry wall and dry wall supplies not used during the construction process.
"I think this is great," said Greg Wright, Faith Relations and Deconstruction Coordinator for Syracuse Habitat for Humanity. "It saves us a small fortune on the building supplies, and that's significant for us."
Wright also marveled at the careful assembly of the venue, which will enable Syracuse Habitat for Humanity the re-use of the materials for future homes.
USBC and the local Habitat for Humanity chapters have been working together since the 2002 USBC Open Championships in Billings, Mont., and the relationship has been extended to the Women's Championships, which was held in a convention-center setting for the first time in 2010. With help from Syracuse Habitat for Humanity, it is expected to take only 10 days to return the convention center to its pre-tournament condition.
"We are very excited about the opportunity to work with Habitat for Humanity again this year in Syracuse," said Greg Moore, USBC Director of Tournaments Planning and Production. "We use a lot of materials to construct our tournament venue, and it's very rewarding to know that even after we've moved on to the next city, many of those items will be used to build home for families in need, and we'll always be a part of the Syracuse community."
While competition at the Women's Championships is scheduled from 7 a.m. until 1 a.m. daily, a short day in the schedule will give local bowling enthusiasts not registered to compete in the tournament an opportunity to enjoy the Women's Championships experience, too.
The exclusive charity event will run from 7-10 p.m. on April 13 and feature live music, food and bowling. Tickets are $75 per person, and $60 of that will be donated back to the following local charities: Make A Wish, The Crouse Foundation, Vera House, American Heart Association, American Red Cross and Susan G. Komen Foundation.
For tickets to this special event, visit www.oncenter.org/box-office-and-tickets.
"The Oncenter is excited to be able to allow the public, for this one night only, an opportunity to be a part of this fantastic championship event, while at the same time, giving back to local charities that support our community year round," said Terri Toennies, Oncenter CEO & President. "We are thankful to USBC for thinking about our community and assisting us with producing a unique and positive evening of bowling, music and fun."
The 2011 Women's Championships is the 92nd edition of the storied event, which was contested for the first time in 1916 and is open to all female USBC members. Outside of the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., where it has been held every third year since 1997, the tournament was held traditional bowling centers until making its convention-center debut last year in El Paso, Texas.
The tournament also was held in Syracuse in 1940 and 1954, attracting 1,185 and 4,538 teams, respectively. The 1999 Open Championships brought more than 50,000 bowlers to Syracuse.
Sponsors for the 2011 USBC Women's Championships sponsors include Turning Stone Resort and Casino, official brackets sponsor, Humana, official registration sponsor, Miller Lite and Molson Canadian, official beer sponsors. Supporting sponsors include Storm Bowling Products, Nationwide Insurance, The Oncenter, Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau, Caz Limo & Tours, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and Brunswick, official lane provider.