The DuKane Chapter Board of Directors had wanted to replace their Laugh Into Spring comedy night event with something that would be new, fun, and interactive, all while raising money for the chapter’s Downed Rider Fund. Over the winter season, chapter VP Joe Barnes, along with fellow board members Linda Barnes and Chris Hansen, began toying with the idea of a bowling night. They researched and contacted area venues and then developed a slate of activities, fees, and prizes for such an event, ultimately creating what would be called the ABATE Bowling Classic or “ABC” held for the first time on March 30 of this year. But would anybody come to an after-hours bowling event being held by a motorcycle rights organization, and on Good Friday to boot?

As it turns out, over 50 bowlers participated in this inaugural event, raising hundreds of dollars for the Downed Rider Fund and making it likely that the ABC will be held again next year. We had younger bowlers, older bowlers, first-time bowlers, and seasoned pro tournament bowlers. All seemed to have a great time. The Brunswick Zone Glendale Heights Lanes provided friendly, efficient service while selling food and beverages to our participants.

As promised, a  9 Pin-No-Tap Tournament was held, on separate lanes from the just-for-fun bowling contingency. Our competition was graced by some pretty serious bowling talent. In fact, the tournament winner, Paul Kaminski, bowled a 300 (perfect game) to take first prize. Nice job, Paul!

The DuKane Chapter’s Downed Rider Fund was established in 2014 to help DuKane members and/or immediate family member(s) with an immediate financial need caused when the member is injured or killed while riding their motorcycle. Benefit recipients are not obligated to pay back the one-time disbursement, although some choose to do so. The DuKane Chapter holds at least one event per year for the sole purpose of raising money for the Downed Rider Fund.

More photos from this event have been posted on the DuKane Chapter’s Facebook page, for your viewing pleasure. If you participated in our inaugural ABATE Bowling Classic, thank you for coming out! We hope to see even more bowlers there next year.

Information on future DuKane Chapter events can be found on the DuKane website Events page and regular updates will always be provided via our Facebook page and our Twitter feed.

Do you think you may be interested in joining DuKane ABATE? We’d love to hear from you! Visit our membership page now to learn more and download an application.