ARLINGTON, Texas – Charla Wilke of Fort Dodge, Iowa, Dave Bryant of Richland, Washington, and Rich Eighme of Waterloo, Iowa, were selected by the United States Bowling Congress Board of Directors to receive USBC National Recognition Awards.

Wilke is this year’s recipient of the Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service, Bryant is the Joyce Deitch Unity Award winner and Eighme has been selected as the USBC Proprietor of the Year.

The annual awards honor outstanding bowling leaders for their contributions to the sport. Selections were made from submitted applications, and the recipients will receive their awards at the 2024 USBC Convention in Las Vegas.

The USBC Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service is named in honor of the fifth president of the Women’s International Bowling Congress (WIBC) and recognizes an outstanding bowling leader who has made invaluable contributions to local and state associations as an innovator, creator and mentor of adult programs.

Wilke has been a member of both the Fort Dodge Area USBC and the Iowa State USBC for 56 years. At both levels, Wilke has served in a variety of roles and on numerous committees over the years.

She served two separate stints (1974-1984 and 2001-2011) as director of the Fort Dodge Women’s Bowling Association (FDWBA). In between, from 1985-2000, she served as that association’s president. In 2012, she transitioned to manager of the FDWBA until the merger of the local associations.

At the state level, Wilke served on a variety of committees before being hired as association manager in 2006. In 2018, she was elected as director to the merged Iowa State USBC, then was hired as the first association manager until the end of the 2021-2022 season. For the 2022-2023 season, Wilke was named to the state board and currently serves as the Finance Chair.

Wilke’s insights and recommendations were deemed invaluable in the merger transitions at both the local and state levels. The word “service” is synonymous with Wilke when talking about her presence in the bowling community. It has been noted that she always made sure there were services provided and programs budgeted for all members, regardless of skill level. She also was a constant promoter of local, state and national tournaments, and represented the sport by attending state and national conventions.

“I am so incredibly honored to receive this award,” Wilke said. “It’s truly the crowning jewel of my bowling service career as well as my entire bowling life. I’ve always tried to put my service to bowling ahead of my personal bowling and prefer to be known for the service. 

“Working for bowling and bowlers in my great state of Iowa has been a privilege and my pleasure. I’ve always tried to do my best for bowling, the proprietors I had the pleasure of working with and, of course, the bowlers themselves. Helping with leagues, local boards, answering questions, organizing tournaments, stepping in when asked or needed. We’re a family and a team, and we promote and work for bowling together. I have been blessed with so many amazing people in this journey, and I’m ever so grateful to all of them.”

In addition to being honored as this year’s USBC Helen Baker Award recipient, Wilke is a member of the Fort Dodge Area USBC and Iowa State USBC Halls of Fame.

The USBC Joyce Deitch Unity Award is named in honor of the seventh president of the WIBC. It recognizes organizations and individuals who have made important contributions to the sport of bowling by being motivators, visionaries, leaders and/or innovators.

Bryant has been involved in the sport of bowling, either as a competitor, administrator and/or volunteer since he began bowling at the age of 8 in 1961. His dedication, service and leadership at the state and local level has led people to describe him as a motivator, visionary, innovator and true friend of the sport.

Bryant has a history of serving the sport on both the local level through the Washington Tri-Cities USBC and at the state level for the Washington State Bowling Association/Washington State USBC.

He was elected to his local association and served from 1983-2006, including stints as vice president (1985-1987) and president (1988-1990 and 1993-1995). Bryant served on, and led, numerous local committees including tournaments, nominating, legislative and site selection.

On the state level, Bryant was elected to the state board for the Washington State Bowling Association at various times from 1988-2006, holding positions such as director, vice president, president and past president during that time frame.

After the merger, the state association became the Washington State USBC with Bryant continuing to play important roles, including two stints as president (2006-2012 and 2019-2021). He was active in youth development, serving at various times as a youth director on the board, as chair of the youth committee and as Youth Championship Tournament Manager.

Highlights from Bryant’s time at the Washington State USBC include standardization of operations and protocols of the State Board of Directors, including being lead author of an operations manual for the Washington State Directors and Leaders. He co-authored a new application and selection criteria for the hall of fame and led rejuvenation and expansion efforts for youth scholarships. Bryant also helped increase participation statewide in the annual meeting/showcase for training and education in the bowling community.

The list of committees that Bryant served on for both state associations is lengthy and includes committees for scholarship, legislative, hall of fame, tournament site selection, finance and budget, tournament rules and operations manual. Additionally, he’s been a local or state voting delegate to the USBC National Convention for 25 years (and counting).

Bryant’s remarkable journey in the sport of bowling includes time spent as a competitor as well. He bowled varsity at the University of Oregon from 1971-1976. He was the 2004 Washington State All-Events champion and has bowled in 32 USBC Open Championships. Bryant owns 11 sanctioned 300 games and one 800 series (801).

“I am honored and extremely grateful to have been selected as the recipient of the Joyce Deitch Unity Award,” Bryant said. “Since becoming a member of my local association in 1983, I have been extremely fortunate to have been mentored by and worked with so many great people while serving on the local Washington Tri-Cities USBC and Washington State USBC bowling associations. Without them, and the support of my family, I would have never received this prestigious honor. Everyone from the local, state, regional and national levels that I have been fortunate to serve with, bowl with, competed with and against, will always be a big part of my life and family.”

In addition to this honor, Bryant is a member of the Northwestern International Bowling Championships Hall of Fame, the Washington Tri-Cities USBC Hall of Fame and the Washington State USBC Hall of Fame.

The USBC Proprietor of the Year Award annually recognizes a bowling center proprietor for outstanding support of USBC local, state and/or national association programs.

Eighme is the managing owner of a four-person ownership group for two centers in Waterloo, Iowa – Maple Lanes and Cadillac XBC (Xtreme Bowling Center).  

The group purchased Maple Lanes in December of 2012 and added Cadillac XBC in April of 2017. Since that time, Eighme and his ownership group have been lauded for their strong business sense, flexibility and innovation, commitment, passion, promotion of community spirit, and investing in people and resources in order to provide the highest level of service to all their bowlers.

Eighme, who also has ownership in a pair of pro shops, notes the two centers are a bit different from each other, but that only adds to his enjoyment as he continually looks for avenues to grow and improve each one.

Maple Lanes is the more “traditional” of the two centers, featuring a strong league base (46 leagues to be exact) that fills the center seven days a week in the evenings. The ownership group endured a challenge in 2020 when Maple Lanes suffered a major fire attributed to arson. There was never a doubt in the minds of the ownership group to rebuild, and Maple Lanes came back stronger than ever.

Eighme played a part in the award-winning design for the new center which features 28 lanes of tenpin bowling, four lanes of duck pin, the King Pin Social restaurant with a second-floor mezzanine, and an area that includes pool tables, corn hole, darts and pinball. Two volleyball courts and an outside bar and eating area also were added.

Cadillac XBC, formerly known as Cadillac Lanes, presented a different challenge as it was converted from a 50-lane center to a Family Entertainment Center (FEC) with 36 lanes and a state-of-the-art arcade. To make this conversion, the center was closed for the entire summer after it was purchased.

The improvements didn’t end with that first summer as, over the years, upgrades have continued, including adding laser tag to the arcade, new overhead screens, a new scoring system, Hyper Bowling, a lane side and front desk remodel, and new flooring and carpet, just to name a few.

And, while the improvements to the design, layout and physical aspects of each center are noteworthy, the real reasons for the success of each center can be traced back to the way Eighme and his group treats their customers and the programs and initiatives they’ve implemented.

The support given to growing youth bowling includes a mix of coaching, practice, leagues and tournaments, plus there are perks provided to the youth bowlers and coaches alike. Programs at both centers provide those willing to give their time and talent to help coach youths additional perks such as discounts on items like practice time, season passes, and food and beverage, along with jerseys. Youth bowlers also receive discounted practice time, jerseys and an opportunity to earn points toward scholarships awarded by the local Youth Bowling Scholarship Foundation.

Eighme is an accomplished bowler himself, having won an Eagle in Regular Doubles with A.J. Chapman at the 2018 Open Championships in Syracuse, New York. He’s a member of the Greater Cedar Valley USBC and Iowa State USBC Halls of Fame, both for performance. Perhaps it’s that competitive spirit that has led Eighme and his group to host numerous tournaments, from local to state, and from youth to adult. The crowning achievement in that regard was when Cadillac XBC hosted the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour’s “Championship Week” to conclude the PWBA’s 2023 season.

“That was challenging because it wasn’t just one event,” said Eighme. “It was three events culminating in the Tour Championship, so that was some added pressure. It was a learning experience, but when all was said and done, the women expressed what a great time they had. The PWBA staff told us how smoothly everything went and that we did a first-rate job. We’re looking forward to hosting the PWBA again in the future.”

Eighme and his group also are involved in the community and with charities. Rich is an active member of the local Community Services Board, and the centers and ownership group have supported programs and events that benefit charities such as the Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL) and Bowl for the Cure.

For Eighme, this award was truly a group effort.

“I was incredibly surprised to win this award and it’s very humbling,” Eighme said. “We do what we can to be a good proprietor, a good employer and a good host. It’s too bad it has to be given to a specific person because even though I’m the face of the bowling centers, it’s your people that get it all done for you. The youth coordinators, general managers, desk managers, party coordinators, the front of house, the kitchen staff, your mechanics, all those people. And, of course, my wife Kathy, who has supported me so much, both personally and professionally. They all deserve this award as much, if not more, than I do.”

The National Recognition Awards will be presented at the 2024 USBC Convention and Annual Meeting from April 22-25 at South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Visit BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards for more information on the National Recognition Awards and to learn about past recipients.

Visit BOWL.com/Convention for information about the 2024 USBC Convention.