While vacationing in Missouri a couple of months ago, I toured the bowling facility at the Jefferson Barracks campus of the VA hospital in St. Louis.
I had heard that the gymnasium and rehabilitation facility that houses the classic Brunswick-equipped wood lanes is one of 14 buildings slated for demolition, as part of a $360 million upgrade project at the hospital. Construction on a new rehabilitation building is scheduled to begin in late 2015, with completion due in late 2017.
It was 8:30 on the morning I visited, but about a dozen veterans were already using the lanes. About 500 vets use the lanes each week, I learned. Many come several times a week. Some are recovering from spinal cord injuries and strokes. VA volunteers help wheelchair users and others who need assistance, and special ramps are provided to help aim and propel the balls for those who can’t swing with their arms. A few steps down a nearby hallway are a weight room, exercise bikes and a therapy pool that offers swimming, kayaking and scuba diving.
For these vets, bowling and the other activities provide exercise that is a valuable component of their rehabilitation. And these opportunities are provided for them free of charge.
There have been many stories of institutional bowling lanes that don’t make it into the plans for building upgrades, remodeling or new construction. This is often due to budgetary restraints, higher-ups thinking that bowling just isn’t important enough to include in the new building, or a combination of the two. (Lanes in college student union buildings or Elks lodges fall into this category a lot.)
The good news: In its plans for the new rehab building, the VA has included 3,000 square feet for a four-lane, modernized bowling facility. Although the space has already figured into the plans, there was unfortunately no room in the VA’s budget for the $500,000 needed for equipment and construction.
Jim Donahoe, one of the leaders of a fundraising drive for the bowling center, told me he can’t imagine a new rehabilitation building without bowling lanes.
“When we suggest that these vets try bowling, some of them say, ‘What’s wrong with you? Can’t you see I’m in a wheelchair?’ ” he said. But many give it a shot, and with it comes a newfound strength — a second wind. Through the use of adaptive technology such as specially-designed ramps and balls with retractable handles instead of finger holes, “paraplegic and quadriplegics can bowl,” Donahoe said, adding that being able to do something they originally thought impossible “goes a long way toward building [the veterans’] confidence.”
Donahoe said that the majority of the funds have been raised, including a $190,000 grant from an anonymous donor and other large donations from the Veterans Canteen Service and the local chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans Association. In addition, the Brunswick corporation has offered “a substantial discount” on lanes and equipment for the new installation, according to a press release. This leaves about $55,000 left to complete the project.
If everyone who sees this were to share this story and the accompanying pictures, and everyone who saw it then continued to share it… do you think we could convince 5,500 supporters of bowling and veterans to contribute $10 each to a worthy bowling cause?
Here are some links with articles and further information about this project. It’s legit! If you share this post and pictures, PLEASE be sure to include these links since they provide contact details to receive further information as well as the link and instructions for donating online.
Thanks for your support of veterans and bowling!
Article (Feb 2014): http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/local-veterans-are-raising-funds-save-bowling-jefferson-barracks-va
Bowling for Veterans Health Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bowling-for-Veterans-Health/578922622143049
Article: (Jan 2015): http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/veterans-optimistic-about-their-efforts-keep-bowling-jefferson-barracks-va
Article about VA upgrade (Oct. 2013): http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/million-upgrade-project-at-jefferson-barracks-va-medical-center/article_5ae7e892-283d-5194-8bb9-523c9cc90dd3.html
Story and photographs © 2015 by Kevin Hong.
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