Friendly rivalries emerge among co-workers, service clubs in bowl-a-thon

Karin Elton
To make participating in the Big Buddy Bowl-A-Thon fund-raiser even more fun, some of the teams have developed a competition to see who can bring in the most pledges.

The Lyon County Government Center employees have seven teams participating. They have had a rivalry for years as to which team can get the most pledges. The Stars — sheriff’s office employees — have had the in-house traveling trophy for the past three years. So far, according to the Stars’ team captain, Eric Wallen, they have the most team pledges and look good to keep the trophy again this year.

But Tricia Zimmer of the county attorney’s office said the Stars don’t have a lock on the trophy.

“We’re giving them a run for the money this year,” said Zimmer, who heads up High Voltage. Zimmer has been the coordinator for the courthouse teams for the past five or six years. “If the Stars want to win, they’ll have to cut some pretty big checks.

“Competition is pretty tight this year,” she said.

Rindy Filzen of the probation department wasn’t so confident.

“They’re going to smoke us,” she said.

Still, Filzen is going to try her best. She said she is going to hit up her hometown of Lucan for donations.

Filzen and the rest of her team members started participating in the Bowl-A-Thon to support their co-worker, Donna Swalbook, who is a Big Buddy.

“We’ve been doing this for about three years,” Filzen said.

Filzen’s bowling skills haven’t been the sharpest in past years, she said, but she has been “practicing on my Wii, lifting weights and putting on pounds — all for the team.”

Filzen said the Stars condition for the event.

“They’re starting to run,” she said.

Mark Mather of the Stars said there are six of his co-workers on the team this year and it is hard to say who is the best bowler among them.

“Maybe Eric Wallen is,” he said.

Zimmer said it’s a fun activity for co-workers.

“We have a lot of fun with it and it’s a chance to do something with your co-workers other than work and it’s all for a good cause,” she said.

Another friendly rivalry is between the Sunrise Rotary Club and the Noon Rotary Club. They have a competition going where the team that brings in the least pledges has to prepare food for the other’s meeting.

“This is our fifth year of participating,” said Theresa Lubke, who is a member of the Noon Rotary club.

At the club’s next meeting, Noon Rotary member Mike Reynolds, “will issue the challenge” to the other club.

“Sunrise won last year,” said Lubke. “They had to buy us doughnuts.”

The Noon Rotary Club members would have gotten ice cream had they won.

Lubke said the competition is a combination of pledges and bowling points.

“We have a good chance this year as long as I don’t bowl,” she said.

She said this year the two teams will be playing during the same time slot. There might be a little trash talk between the two clubs, but it will probably be kept to a minimum, because “we’re pretty good Rotarians,” Lubke said.



kelton@marshallindependent.com