With help from Kegel, the official lane maintenance provider for USBC tournaments, many bowlers, fans and spectators at the USBC Open and Women's Championships this year had the chance to donate to a worthy cause as well as possibly win a few prizes, too.  

USBC, along with The Bowling Foundation, sponsors a year-round fundraising and awareness initiative called Bowl For The Cure in partnership with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a foundation made up of breast cancer survivors and activists that has raised more than $1 billion. In 2010, an estimated 207,090 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and USBC is working hard to do its part in helping to raise money and awareness.

This year, Kegel provided each tournament with a pink lane machine, as the color pink is synonymous with breast cancer awareness. The pink Kegel Lane Walker at the Open Championships in Reno, Nev., was been dubbed "Pinky" by the staff and lane maintenance crew, while the one at the Women's Championships in Syracuse, N.Y., was named Mildred.

Those who visited the 2011 Open Championships had the opportunity to win a three-night hotel stay at the 2012 event in Baton Rouge, La., by guessing how many miles Pinky walked during the 2011 tournament at the National Bowling Stadium. Tom Clukay of Winchendon, Mass., took home the prize with a guess of 191 miles, just one mile short of the exact number.

At the Women's Championships, a new feature in the squad room encouraged greater donations. It began with the creation of a large foam-board map of the United States that adorned one wall of the room and had rows of pink cardboard bowling balls surrounding it.

For a donation of at least $1, bowlers received a pink-beaded map pin, which they were urged to place in their hometown on the large map. The donation also got them a pink cardboard bowling ball, which many signed or added the name of a cancer victim or past bowler. They were able to add any message they wanted to before posting it next to the map.

This year, the bowlers at the Open and Women's Championships helped raise nearly $5,000.

"Many lives have and will be affected by cancer," USBC Managing Director of Tournaments Brian Lewis said. "Those reasons alone are why USBC is committed to the cause and doing our part in helping raise awareness and funding to find a cure."

Raising money is just one way USBC is trying to continue the pursuit of a cure. Since the inception of Bowl for the Cure in 2000, people from across the country have hit the lanes to raise nearly $8 million for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and its affiliates.

One important figure in the bowling industry who has an ongoing personal fight with cancer and is a big part of the effort to raise awareness is 2011 USBC Hall-of-Fame inductee Del Ballard Jr. of Keller, Texas.

Ballard was diagnosed with Stage 4 Tonsil Cancer in May of 2010 and has been battling the disease since. As of this moment, he is cancer free, but will continue to get scans over the next five years to make sure no growths have re-appeared or spread to other regions of his body. The scans will take place every three months at first and then every six months. After that, they will take place once a year until the five-year period is over.

Ballard, who owns 13 Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour titles and also is a PBA Hall of Famer, has developed plans to initiate a "Coaching for Cancer" clinic. This idea gives him and several other coaches the opportunity to teach the game they love, while attempting to raise funds and awareness for cancer. An estimated 36,540 new oral cavity and pharynx cancer cases were expected for 2010, up from the 29,370 new cases in 2005.

"Unfortunately, cancer is everywhere," said Ballard, who was inducted to the PBA Hall of Fame in 2009. "We have to find out what's causing the problem for everybody. It's not about the drugs that make you feel better about it, it's about the cure. We need to find out the reasons why it starts. Why do women have breast cancer? Why is it so pronounced now? What is it that's causing the problem? Let's solve the problem instead of putting a Band-Aid on it."

During his battle, Ballard stepped away from the lanes and didn't bowl competitively for several months prior to his recent return to the lanes at the Open Championships for his 23rd appearance.

Because of a last minute withdrawal, Ballard was asked to step in and compete. Though his career and success span many decades, it was an emotional endeavor for the 48-year-old right-hander.

With the backing of his friends, and the support of his wife, USBC Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, and daughter, Alyssa, he took to the tournament lanes, and it was one of the best feelings he has ever had.

"I thanked my team before we went out there because there was no way I would have bowled on my own," Ballard said after competing. "I shot 629 in team, and I am beyond happy. I got through three games, and I know I can make it through six now. I feel good. My body is sore from carrying my three-ball tote, but it's a good kind of sore. My hand hurts a little bit. It's a little sore, too, but it's sore the right way. It's the kind of sore that I miss. I absolutely love coming to Nationals. I also saw some people I haven't seen in years."

Unfortunately, he knows too well what it's like to hear potentially grave news as his daughter, Alyssa, was born with a hole in her heart, low platelet blood count and the potential need for a blood transfusion. It was one of the worst feelings in the world for a new father, but Ballard and Carolyn were right there to fight with their daughter, and now Carolyn and Alyssa are there to fight him.

"My daughter is my driving force," said Ballard, who won the 1988 USBC Masters. "I want to see her grow up. I want to be there for her. I want to help her when she cries. When something's wrong, I want her to come to me. My daughter is a special person. I know every parent says the same thing, but my daughter is a very, very special person. I only want the best for her, and I want to be here to make sure it happens. Before I got sick, I felt the same way. But, when I got hit with this, it really made me wake up and look at my priorities in life."

Click hereto watch video highlights from the 2011 Open Championships.
Presenting sponsors for the 2011 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, Humana, official registration sponsor, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.