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Friends, family raise funds for The Center at LaPensee Bowling Tourname

Friends, family raise funds for The Center at LaPensee Bowling Tournament

Written by Monica Simpson on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, Featured.

ANNA MARIA – Sold out again this year, the Greg LaPensee Bowling Tournament was a huge fundraising success on Saturday night at Bowlero Bradenton.

With 64 lanes sold and teams of six bowling in support of The Center of Anna Maria Island, the night was filled with the sounds of crashing pins, laughter and good conversation.

At night’s end, the Salty Dolphins of AMI Dolphin Tours once again were the top team with a combined team score of 974 in a single game.

Bowling pin “trophies” were awarded to Mikie Phetcher, the top female bowler, with a score of 150.

Hunter Parrish, scoring 234, was the top male bowler of the night. This was Parrish’s first individual achievement as a member of the AMI Dolphin Tours team.

King Middle School eighth-grader Cale Rudacille took home top honors as a youth bowler with a high score of 132.

On the flip side of bowling achievements, Keith Mahoney won the coveted Gutter Ball award.

The tournament, named in honor of Greg LaPensee, who passed away on Dec. 21, 2021 at 39 years of age, was once again sponsored by LaPensee Plumbing, Pools and Air. LaPensee’s sons, Preston and Chandler, opened the tournament with the first bowls of the night.

Many of the teams showed their originality and personalities through the costumes they wore at the fundraiser. Five teams were considered for the team costume contest prize.

In the end, the six Jamaican bobsledders, Don and Leah Purvis, Brian and Lauren Johnson, and Gavin and Amy Lee, took home the title of best team costumes.

The fundraiser planning once again was a tribute to the giving spirit that Janae Rudacille has for her Island community. Center staff and Rudacille outdid themselves again this year with a wonderful event featuring many raffle items and silent auction items donated to benefit the nonprofit organization.

The Center staff is grateful to everyone who made this year’s fundraising event an even bigger success than last year. All proceeds from the bowling tournament will go toward the programming and services provided by The Center.

The Center staff, volunteers and bowlers made the Greg LaPensee Bowling Tournament another night to remember.

Score a strike at the LaPensee Bowling Tournament

Score a strike at the LaPensee Bowling Tournament

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Archives.

The LaPensee Bowling Tournament, supporting The Center of Anna Maria Island, returns to Bowlero Bradenton for a night of fun competition on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 5 p.m.

The annual event is a fundraiser for The Center with presenting sponsor LaPensee Plumbing, Pools & Air. The Sun is the media sponsor for the event.

Each year the bowling tournament brings people together for an evening of fun and a little friendly competition on the lanes. In addition to bowling, this year’s tournament features a raffle, prizes for best costumes and awards for the best and worst male, female and kid bowlers.

Last year’s event brought out around 300 bowlers playing on 52 sponsored lanes and raised more than $15,000 for the nonprofit. This year’s goal is to sell out the bowling alley.

Tickets are $30 per person and include three games of bowling, a shoe rental and a choice of either pizza or wings. If you have a team, you can sponsor a whole lane. The cost is $150 to sponsor a lane with a logo displayed on your lane and at check-in. Lane sponsors with players, a team of up to five members, is $200 with a logo displayed at check-in and on the lane.

Signature lane sponsors, at $500 per lane, can have a team of up to five players per lane with a logo displayed at the lane and at check-in. Signature lane sponsors receive a pitcher of beer at their lane, and each player receives a Yeti and Center fishing shirt with a business logo on it. Kids’ lanes also are available.

And don’t forget the costume contest. Each player is encouraged to participate in the costume contest by dressing up solo or as a team.

For more information or to register, visit The Center online at or call 941-778-1908. Bowlero Bradenton is at 4208 Cortez Road.

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Center fans rock the lanes at bowling tournament

LaPensee Bowling Tournament to benefit Center

Score a strike at the LaPensee Bowling Tournament

Center fans rock the lanes at bowling tournament

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Bowling, Featured, Sports.

BRADENTON – More than 300 bowlers took to the lanes Sept. 8 in a bowling tournament that was more about comradery than competition.

Bowlers filled 52 sponsored lanes for the annual LaPensee Bowling Tournament held at the AMF Bradenton Lanes. Two kids’ lanes, sponsored by the Zaccagnino and Talucci families, were filled with laughter and a lot of excitement as children took turns rolling bowling balls down the lanes. After taking a year off in 2017, the tournament returned stronger than ever as one of the primary fundraisers for The Center of Anna Maria Island, this year bringing in more than $15,000 in sales and donations.

bowling
From left: Center Board Chair David Zaccagnino; 50-50 winner Martha Jones, who donated half her winnings back to the Center; event chair Karen Harlee; and Cindy Jones, Martha’s mom. – Chantelle Lewin | Sun

Throughout the three-game tournament, bowlers cheered on each other and surrounding teams as some people rolled strikes and others rolled gutter balls. Everyone agreed they had a great time as they came out to support the Center in one of the organization’s signature events. Though the competition was all in good fun, there were a few awards handed out.

The bees of Team Bins Be Clean took home the award for best team costume, beating out the “Dodgeball” inspired costumes from Team Purvis. Young bowler Fiona McCarthy took home the award for the highest kids score. Bowler Charles Wade, from the team from Roser Memorial Community Church, won the award for the highest male score after bowling three nearly perfect games. Lauren Powell took home the highest scoring female bowler award. The award for lowest male score went to Greg McKinney, while Isabella Miller took home the award for the lowest scoring female in the bowling tournament.

In addition to competing for awards, bowlers also were competing against each other for silent auction items and raffle prizes along with $603 in the 50/50 raffle. Auction and raffle prizes included gift baskets from local businesses, a two-hour sunset cruise with Capt. Ben Webb, an original artwork print by artist Patricia Bowers, a trip to LEGO Land, a fishing charter and a one-year family membership to the Center. The two largest raffle prizes were a grill donated by Rice’s Appliances and a beach cruiser bicycle donated by Beach Bums. Winner of the bicycle, Alex Harllee, even considered taking the bicycle for a quick spin through the bowling alley at the urging of Center board chair David Zaccagnino causing a round of laughter to erupt from nearby bowlers.

While not everyone went home with an award or a prize, everyone agreed they had a great time. Center executive director Chris Culhane said the tournament was a lot of fun for everyone involved.

“We’re thankful to everyone who came out tonight,” he said.