Brunswick Bowling Provides Support To Local Veterans Home

Brunswick Bowling recently helped lend a hand to a local Veterans home by refurbishing its bowling lanes and get them in top condition for the residents to enjoy.

The lanes are located in the basement of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans in Grand Rapids, Mich., where a large room was converted to a two-lane bowling center complete with meeting USBC regulations for certification in the 1940s. Over the years the lanes were neglected although they were still used for competition by the residents. They were in terrible condition as were the pinsetting machine because no one had the knowledge to repair the machines nor the necessary spare parts.

Brunswick supplied the labor, knowledge, and the equipment and replacement parts to complete the work. A service team converted a broken down set of bowling lanes to a first class bowling center, correcting lanes, rebuilding the pinsetting machines, updating the masking unit graphics and repairing the ball lifts. Northway Lanes in Muskegon, Mich., offered the use of its lane machine to provide the lane maintenance. The Grand Rapids Bowling Assoc. has contributed over $1,300 to help with the lane maintenance and to financially support a part time mechanic to check the machines once a month and provide the necessary maintenance.

A dedication ceremony was recently held where representatives from most of the West Michigan American Legion Posts as well as members from the Muskegon Bowling Association, Michigan State Bowling Association, the Grand Rapids Bowling Association, and the Michigan State Youth were in attendance to celebrate the complete refurbishment of the bowling lanes.

Spear-heading the project was Carl Kuzyk, retired Brunswick employee and member of the American Legion Charles A. Conklin Post #28 from Grand Haven, Mich. Kuzyk spent over two years putting the program together to improve the lanes and all the equipment. Kuzyk was given special recognition and a plaque and certificate signed by Governor Rick Snyder for the work that was accomplished.

Once the project was complete, the value of the parts and equipment donated by Brunswick was estimated at $8,600 along with 176 man hours. But the value of how much the veterans will enjoy the lanes and enhance their quality of life cannot be measured. Brunswick is very proud to have been part of this project.