Bowling History, The Bowling Memoirs of Johnny Petraglia
Raising Money for Our Troops Through Bowlers to Veterans Link – Bowling Memoirs of Johnny Petraglia
A couple of weeks ago we had the “Johnny Petraglia BVL Open.” Last year we had over 600 entries in the pro-am, and we did again this year. All proceeds go to the BVL, an organization that has been around since 1942 when a group of women from Wisconsin that bowled in league got it started. BVL stands for “Bowlers to Veterans Link.” The money raised helps our troops around the world. They raise about a million dollars a year.
This year as well as last year we raised approximately $50,000 at the pro-am, but that’s not the whole story. There are people in this world that do great things and a lot of times it goes unnoticed. The reason we raise $50,000 is because normally a center puts up money to have the PBA tour. The center gets their money back thru the gate and the pro-am. In most cases on the PBA50 Tour, a center has about 100 to 200 pro-am entries, but on Long Island so many people support the Veterans we draw about 600. Then the owners of Farmingdale Lanes, John LaSpina and family, donate back all the proceeds made from the tournament. That’s where the $50,000 comes from. The LaSpina family and the bowlers of Long Island. It should also be noted that Manager Craig Liguori and his staff work their buns off all year to make the tournament a success. One final component; to kick off the tournament we have a $2,000 shootout, winner take all match with Pete Weber, Parker Bohn, Walter Ray Williams and Amleto Monacelli. The money is donated by the PBA. This year the four bowlers got together and decided whoever won the shootout, they would donate the $2,000 back to the BVL. Do we have great people in our sport or what!!!
As we celebrate this Memorial Day and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, it is with great pleasure for me to say that the bowlers on Long Island, the PBA, pro bowlers, and John LaSpina did their part.
God Bless our troops.
cento anni’…Johnny Petraglia
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Lets also thank all the great veterans of the sport like yourself, and also mention that a great man like yourself is also a vet from the Vietnam war. Johnny you are more then just an ambassador to the sport of bowling and to the many bowling proprietors you are also an ambassador to all those who have served and are to modest to take our thanks. I for one as an American bowler, thank you for everything you do for our sport, our country and our way of life.