Bowling – for many, it’s considered a simple pastime, for others, a serious competition of sporting expertise. But for Pahrump resident Denise Flanagan, bowling is much more that just an activity. It’s a mechanism for her to give back to her fellow veterans.
This past Sunday, Flanagan hosted her 7th Annual Bowl-A-Thon for Wounded Warriors and she was absolutely overjoyed at the success of the event.
A fundraiser in which every dollar raised is donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, the Bowl-A-Thon took place inside the Nugget Bowl. The bowling alley was buzzing with energy and enthusiasm as the fun got underway, with a huge array of raffle prizes for patrons to play for and of course, lots of bowling too.
The game was 9-pin, no-tap and everyone, from longtime bowlers to newbies, was able to enjoy the afternoon of camaraderie.
Flanagan is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, having served for nearly three decades, and though she was fortunate enough to retire without injury, she knows all too well that this is not the case for millions of others who stepped up to sacrifice in service to their country.
The consequences of service can be highly visible, such as the loss of a limb, or they can be insidiously hidden, coming in the form of mental health issues. That’s why Flanagan is such a staunch supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project.
“Over 70% of our warriors are living with the invisible wounds of war, like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety and depression,” Flanagan previously detailed. “Since its inception, Wounded Warrior Project has helped hundreds of thousands of warriors and their families, at no cost to them.”
This year’s Bowl-A-Thon took place Dec. 8, starting at about 9:30 a.m. with raffle ticket sales and continuing through the afternoon, concluding around 3 p.m. Flanagan reported a crowd of approximately 200 attendees, 140 of whom participated in bowling.
“Things ran really smooth this year,” she told the Pahrump Valley Times afterward. “I was down a couple of helpers so things were crazy but we got it done! And as always, the support of our town blows my mind. We raised $3,849 at the event and $903 from my Facebook fundraiser, for a grand total of $4,752. Just amazing! I couldn’t be happier.
“We had so many veterans there who were extremely happy in what we do,” Flanagan added. “I had two post-9/11 veterans who came up to me and gave me a hug. They told me that Wounded Warrior Project helped get them back on their feet. And that’s why I do what I do!”
Flanagan may be the one spearheading the Bowl-A-Thon but she doesn’t do it alone and she offered her gratitude to those who assisted.
“First off, I want to thank my ‘staff’ – Draven Rodgers, Rich Flanagan and Margaret Flanagan. Then comes the bowling center staff – Mike, Stan, Lorie, Kalani and Sean. We couldn’t accomplish what we do without them. They were awesome,” she raved. “And thank you to all the businesses and individuals who donated items, as well as the Pahrump Valley Times for always making my event a priority.”
For more information on Flanagan’s local efforts call 775-209-0783. For more on the event beneficiary visit WoundedWarriorProject.org.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com