By STEVE MORRISON
Niles Daily Star

It was a refreshing, seasonal change to witness two Niles bowling leagues, several sponsors and Niles Youth Bowling League coordinators “step up to the line” and exemplify the holiday motto: “It is better to give than receive.”

As officers and officials looked on, Dave Lembke, Secretary of the Thursday Niles City “B” by Miller Lite Bowling League, presented Donna Medlin, Niles Youth Bowling Association director, with a check for $394 at Joey Armadillo’s Bowling Center.

For three consecutive years the City “B” League and the Ladies’ Night Out League have combined to donate 100 percent of their 50/50 raffle proceeds from the last Thursday prior to Christmas break for the Youth Association.

With the present bleak local and national economic conditions, this year’s contribution remarkably more than doubled the intake from the previous two years combined.

“Cultivation of the youth of the community is what this (Bowling Association event) is all about,” Lembke stressed.

Medlin indicated that 76 youth, ranging from ages 5 to 19, participate every Saturday at Joey Armadillo’s in the Niles Youth Bowling Association.

Medlin, Tom Reames and other volunteers donate extraordinary amounts of time and energy coaching and running the program.

“The money will go toward the Cindy Cross Memorial Scholarship Fund,” Medelin stated.

Cross was a long-time avid bowler in the Niles Association. The idea for the scholarship was initiated by “B” League Vice President Jamie Stover.

“It’s a $200 scholarship for a graduating senior, for anyone that’s involved in our (youth) league or someone that is currently in college. We have one so far. That (recipient) was Jennifer Searles, a graduate of Brandywine High School (2007),” Medlin explained. “We didn’t have any graduating seniors last year.”

Searles attends Southwestern Michigan College.

Also funds are donated to the In-house Scholarship.

The In-house Scholarship is presented to students who bowl in the league and participate in a “step-ladder” competition. The top five bowlers face each other in tiered rounds to determine winners. “We gave out $1,500 last year. Other leagues have given us (donations),” Medlin added.

The “B” League, consisting of 15 teams and Ladies’ Night Out League with seven teams, fields 110 bowlers every Thursday at Joey Armadillo’s.

Selling three tickets for $2 a trio, the leagues were able to provide 36 draws for prizes in the raffle.

The prizes included five hams and five turkeys purchased by the league and numerous non-alcoholic prizes donated by Nate Wines, O.K. Distributors and Budweiser Distributing, all from Dowagiac.

Hopefully this program and its benefits will continue to grow for young bowlers. High school bowling, including teams from Brandywine High School, has mushroomed into a varsity sport over the state and country in recent years.

Scholarships for bowlers from colleges are on the increase. There are opportunities out there for them.

Both “B” League President Mark Young and Lembke would welcome hearing from other area leagues that would like to help contribute to the scholarship funding.

Contact with them can be made through Brett Godsey, proprietor of Joey Armadillo’s, at 687-5555.