One of the highest honors any athlete, or anyone for that matter, can receive is an invitation to the White House.

Such was the case for 2015 PBA World Championship winner Gary Faulkner Jr. when he had the opportunity to visit the White House on Friday, March 4, and bowl on the White House Lanes located in the Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House in Washington D.C.

Faulkner received the invitation thanks to U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis who made it possible. While Faulkner didn’t have the opportunity to bowl with President Barack Obama, he enjoyed nearly two hours bowling with his mother Wanda, sister Alex (in photo at left) along with White House and Rep. Cohen’s staff members. They were then treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the White House.

Faulkner became the second African American to win a PBA Tour title when he defeated E.J. Tackett, 216-178, in the championship match at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno in December.

Faulkner is the second bowler in the past few years to receive an invitation to the White House. Kelly Kulick, the only woman to win a PBA Tour title when she won the 2010 Tournament of Champions, earned an invitation in March of 2010 when she attended an International Women’s Day reception hosted by President and Mrs. Obama.

To get the full story of Faulkner’s visit click on the Memphis Commercial Appeal story:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/pba-champ-gary-faulkner-to-bowl-at-white-house-2d3aba12-6924-4683-e053-0100007f4797-371050591.html.