Pahrump bowlers have a ball at Wounded Warrior Project fundraiser

Denise Flanagan is an Air Force veteran and a staunch supporter of her fellow former military service members, having a deep understanding of what it takes, and what it can cost, to don a military uniform.

As part of her commitment to supporting veterans’ causes, Flanagan has developed a passion for the Wounded Warrior Project and has tailored her own fundraising event to her desire to help those who are struggling with wounds, both visible and invisible, after serving their country.

The 2021 Bowling for Our Wounded Warriors event took place Dec. 5 at the Pahrump Nugget bowling alley, where hundreds of people gathered for an afternoon of 9-pin bowling and raffles. When asked how she felt things went overall, an overjoyed Flanagan said, “Unbelievably! Our community is so supportive, both our businesses and our townspeople.”

Flanagan reported $3,564 came in from the bowling fundraiser itself. In addition, Flanagan hosted a fundraiser on Facebook, which brought in another $1,000, raising the this year to $4,564.

“I would estimate about 400 people were in and out over the course of the event,” Flanagan told the Pahrump Valley Times. “We had 101 bowlers who participated and for the first time for one of our events, all the bowling lanes were full. People just floated around, checking everything out. It was just a lot of fun.”

With 135 raffle items in all, Flanagan remarked, “We started calling tickets at 1:15 p.m. and finished at 4:10 p.m. It was nonstop, and I can’t thank my crew enough!”

The raffle prizes included gift certificates and gifts cards from local businesses, handmade items and tickets to a NASCAR race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. A 50/50 raffle rounded off the activities, with the winner of that drawing taking home $250.

“Wounded Warrior Project is important to me because, as a veteran, I identify with my fellow brothers and sisters in arms,” Flanagan said after the event. “People need to realize that not all wounds are visible. There are hundreds of thousands of warriors who suffer from invisible wounds. When we enlist, we don’t ask not to be sent to a war zone. We go where ordered, without question. Why? Because our enlistment oath states, ‘I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States.’ I feel blessed to be able to provide a service that can support this noble cause.”

While originally detailing that this year’s Bowling for Our Wounded Warriors event was to be her third such fundraiser at the Nugget Bowl, Flanagan later delved into her archives to tally up the total made over all the years of bowling fundraisers and realized that it was actually her fourth endeavor. In the previous three years, the events netted a total of $8,323. Combined with the 2021 proceeds, Flanagan’s bowling fundraisers have brought in $12,887 to support the Wounded Warrior Project.

“Thank you to my crew, Denise Koch, Doug Stout, Rich Flanagan and Draven Rodgers, I couldn’t have done this without them, they had it down pat!” Flanagan concluded with gratitude. “And thank you to the bowling center staff, Lori, Randy, Mike, John, Dale, Lisa and Virginia. They literally spent weeks signing people up for the bowling aspect and collecting funds. Plus, they kept the snack bar open and fully manned during the event. Thank you as well to the Pahrump Valley Times and KPVM for announcing the event and to Daniel Grevich, owner of the Over the Hump Saver, for his donated ad and postings of our event on their online magazine.”

Of course, expressions of appreciation would not be complete without also thanking all of those who donated to the event, and Flanagan was sure to give them each kudos for their contributions. The list was extensive and as Flanagan noted, that just goes to shows how much the local community supports veteran causes.

Donors included Bunnie’s Boutique, Color Street, Sanders Family Winery, Jewelry of Romance, the Home Depot, Sugar and Spice Bakery, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Shimmer and Shine Salon, Aloha Ink Tattoo, Dairy Queen, Purcell Tire, Saitta Trudeau, China Wok, Purple Tulip Quilts and Romero’s Restaurant.

Also offering contributions to the event were Battle Born Financial, Nice to Meat You, Terrible’s Moonshiner Cafe, Furniture Warehouse, Fitness for $10, Sheryl Hunter, Mt. Falls Golf Club, Designs by Melanie, Golden Casino Group, Something Special Florist, Mastertech Computers, La Fonda Restaurant, Mom’s Diner and Pahrump Party Supply.

The G.I. USA Store and Rockin Rodgers Ranch donated as well, along with Leather by Draven, Designs by Denise K, Alice Cummings Salon, Madera Studio, Albertsons, Phil Bradley, Shear Talent Salon, Foxy Rose Designs, Margaret Flanagan, Denise and Rich and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com.