Registration is now open for the 28th annual Bowl-a-thon to benefit Northwestern Medical Center’s Jim Bashaw Cancer & Catastrophic Illness Fund. The striking event will be held on Saturday, April 6 at the Dairy Center Bowling Alley in Enosburg, featuring two sessions of bowling, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Jim Bashaw was a beloved teacher, guidance counselor and longtime girls’ basketball coach at BFA St. Albans. His death in August of 2000 from brain cancer affected not only his family and friends, but the entire community. In honor of Jim’s memory, a fund was established to provide financial assistance to residents of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties who are experiencing catastrophic illness from cancer or other causes.

The fund provides financial assistance to people in Franklin and Grand Isle counties who are struggling with cancer or a catastrophic illness. This fund helps people of all ages with things like transportation to medical appointments and out of pocket medical expenses. During 2018, 155 grants totaling $71,785 were awarded. Since inception of the fund, $598,00 has been awarded to over 1,100 individuals.

The need for financial support continues to grow in our community. Several other funding options have recently been depleted, leaving community members with fewer options for grant applications and an increase in demand on the Bashaw Fund.

Please consider helping the community by bowling in this fund-raising event or by sponsoring a bowler to participate. Teams of six are needed with a $50 minimum donation per bowler. This fee includes two games, shoe rental, pizza refreshments and prizes.

This year, the Bowlathon is proudly sponsored by Vermont Federal Credit Union, Harrison Concrete, Handy Toyota and Chevrolet, Pizza Hut, Bokan Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Husky, Jolley, Champlain Insuring, Cross Consulting Engineers and NMC. Thanks to those sponsorships, 100 percent of your donations will go to help individuals from Franklin and Grand Isle Counties cope with cancer or catastrophic illness.

Call 524-8467 or email [email protected] to register.