Kids try out bowling, with eye on cash for college

It might have looked as if there were 33 children and teens just out for an afternoon of fun Sunday at AMF University Lanes on North Tryon Street.

With bowling, pizza and prizes lined up as a part of their visit, maybe they were. The parents who paid to have their children participate at the fundraiser, on the other hand, were interested in scholarships.

A year-old independent nonprofit called Empower the Youth organized the event for 7- to 19-year-olds. The intent was to expose them to sports that could help them to stash away money for college through competition. But these are not the high-profile athletics such as football and basketball.

So the children and teens spent part of their day bowling. They can return for an eight-week program that offers finishers a free bowling ball and a step toward a 20-week summer league where they can start earning money and rankings.

Children and teens who sign up for the eight-week program that starts Oct. 25, will enjoy many benefits, said Empower the Youth founder Rochelle V. Gray, a teacher at Eastway Middle School.

“Have some fun, get some social skills and get some scholarship dollars,” she said. “They’re also privy to all of the other programs we have.”

Empower the Youth offers similar programs focusing on tennis, chess, golf, swimming and lacrosse.

For information about other programs, call 980-319-7275.

This story was originally published September 27, 2015 at 7:51 PM with the headline "Kids try out bowling, with eye on cash for college."