Red County, California

Over the last couple of weeks, I have spent two or three hours each Monday talking with members of a bowling league sponsored by Keystone Lanes in Norwalk, CA. The time was well-spent collecting material to write this article that appeared in last week’s Community News:

Last week, Dave Olsen bowled a 284 and his teammate Jason Eien bowled a 229. This week, along with Roy Ramsey (254) and Brandon Wright (238), they are headed to a national championship competition in Cincinnati, Ohio, representing their bowling league against 150 competing teams.

All of the bowlers in their league, sponsored by Keystone Lanes in Norwalk, are legally blind.

Think you’ve got the stuff to bowl against them? The blind bowlers keep an open challenge and love to compete. They’ve beaten all three challengers to step forward so far. The only concession: you have to be willing to wear a single eye patch.

The league is run by Rob Hartley, manager of special events for Keystone Lanes. Owner Charlie Kinstler and General Manager Dave Piazza enthusiastically support the league. Adrienne Barber provides able assistance

Four years ago, Hartley decided to run a one-shot fundraiser for local efforts to support the blind. He invited blind bowlers, who had so much fun that they asked to return the next week. They’ve been coming weekly ever since.

Although each is legally blind, not all the members of the league have lost all sight in both eyes.

Dave Olsen is blind in one eye with correctable vision in the other. Robert Lopez has partial sight, and wants to give a shout-out to his brother Richard in Pico Rivera and his sister Rebecca in Whittier.

Carole Van Bogelen has been completely blind since birth, as has Laura Russell. Wayne Thompson, born blind, runs an Internet radio show every Friday from his home studio, where he maintains 24,000 music files. Marcia Wong was born blind in Jamaica.

Jason Eien, born sighted in Orange County, lost his sight when he was shot at the age of seven. Sharon Rainwater, a resident of Los Angeles, napped for two hours and woke blinded by a stroke.

Each of them faces blindness as an individual. Each of them invites you down to bowl with them because it’s fun.

The bowlers only concessions to their handicap are guide rails and a sighted assistant to man the computer console. No gutter bumpers are used.

Guide rails run from the ball retriever to the head of the lane. Hartley often acts as coach, calling out results from behind the bowlers and suggesting ways to improve their form.

The Norwalk Lions Club chipped in to buy the guide rails. Together with other Lions Clubs in West Covina and North Pasadena, the Norwalk Lions provide continuing support for the league, known as Journey for the Blind.

The team is past national champs, and Jason Eien is past national singles champ. But sending a team to that national competition strains the league’s finances. This year it will cost about $4000 to cover round trip airfare, meals and hotel rooms. So far, the league has raised about half the cost.

The only blind bowling league in Southern California, Journey for the Blind is always looking for more support because its members live on restricted incomes of $800 to $1100 a month on average. No one is turned away for inability to pay the modest $10 weekly bowling fee. Currently, there are six teams in the league, with four players per team.

The league needs sponsors to cover the cost of a team ($160 – $200 monthly) or an individual ($40 monthly). They’re selling pens for $4 each. Team members are spreading the word through school visits and public speaking.

As he has done three times in the past, Rob Hartley will bowl a 24-hour marathon later this month or next to raise funds for the league. Over the course of the marathon, he will drink 12 pounds of liquid, eat 10 pounds of food and use the restroom twice. He’s looking for sponsors, and for challengers to play against him.

If you are interested in starting a blind bowling league in your area, Hartley will be happy to help you get one started.

For more information, call Hartley at Keystone Lanes at 562-868-3261 and ask for Rob. Or call Hartley’s cell phone at 951-255-0705.

To listen to Wayne Thompson’s Friday 8-10 pm radio show, visit Radio Look-up at www.billsparks.org and click on the “Listen live to ‘The Legend.’” link.

Keystone Lanes is located at 11459 East Imperial Highway, just east of Firestone Boulevard, in the city of Norwalk. For more information, visit its website at www.keystonelanes.com or call 562-868-3261.

This blog post is part of Zemanta’s “Blogging For a Cause” campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.

(Hat tip: Fred Wilson at A VC.)