Bowling to help cancer patients

The money raised will help grant wishes for the terminally ill.

BY JORDAN COHEN

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NILES — Families and friends of three ministers who perform wedding ceremonies fired bowling balls down McKinley Lanes on Saturday afternoon for reasons that went well beyond getting strikes and spares.

The group launched its first charitable bowling event to raise money for Making Memories, a national foundation that grants wishes for Stage IV breast-cancer victims. A Stage IV diagnosis indicates the illness is terminal.

“I have worked with two supervisors who had breast cancer and have seen it devastate mothers and families,” said the Rev. Robert DeZee of McDonald, who also is an aide at an area nursing home. The Rev. Mr. DeZee said that Making Memories helps brighten the lives of the women who are terminally ill.

Mr. DeZee and two other non-denominational ministers, the Rev. Eugene Miligi, McDonald, and the Rev. Richard Evans, Vienna, formed the Youngstown Wedding Ministers last year for couples who want to be married in a Christian ceremony away from the traditional church. They began planning their bowling effort less than two months ago with McKinley Lanes, which agreed to donate 30 percent of the proceeds to Making Memories, according to Mr. DeZee.

Donna George, Struthers, did not bowl with the ministers, but she contributed for personal reasons: her 61-year old mother, a Niles resident, was recently diagnosed with the first stage of breast cancer.

“You don’t think about it happening to you or someone you love, so when it does, it sheds a different light,” said George, 33, who had brought her twin 6-year-old nephews to the lanes and made a donation when she heard about the fund-raising effort. George said her mother has been given an excellent prognosis for recovery. “She’s doing great,” George said.

Mr. DeZee said the turnout was smaller than he would have liked, which he attributed to Christmas shopping. He said he is thinking about having a similar event next October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“I hope we can do this again next year and that more people will hear about this,” Mr. DeZee said. “We consider this our first annual event.”