The newly created Youth Education Services (YES) Fund made its first direct step in support of the YES mission to promote youth bowling with the announcement of a program designed to create and preserve high school bowling programs.

The YES Fund - High School Grant Program will provide $2,500 to four high school programs annually. The high school teams must show financial need because of budget cuts or other changes, or may request funding to start a new program.

"High school bowling has shown rapid growth in the last decade, but many school-funded sports programs are facing cuts right now," Bowling Proprietors' Association of America (BPAA) Director of Youth Chad Murphy, who oversees YES Fund programs, said. "Thankfully, the YES Fund and its partners have stepped up to make a grant program possible and now the bowling industry can help keep this key age group on the lanes."

Founding partners Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm and Track provided key support to launch the YES Fund. The YES Fund is a joint initiative of the BPAA and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).

To kick off the High School Grant Program, the YES Fund will award $2,500 to Middlesex High School in Middlesex, N.J., to help that 19-year-old bowling program continue in 2010-11. The Middlesex High School team learned in June that because of economic constraints the program was going to be cut.

Parents and supporters of the Middlesex program held fundraisers throughout the summer and, in late September, the Middlesex Board of Education approved the reinstatement of the varsity bowling program. Twenty-five bowlers have signed up for the Middlesex team this season.

The new High School Grant Program, which will be administered by USBC High School, was established for programs facing cuts such as Middlesex High School and for schools which seek to start new programs.

"It is important for high school coaches, athletes and parents to know there are resources here to help," USBC High School Manager Breanne Eoff said. "It can be a real challenge for people to know how to help a high school program. Our team can help provide guidance and answers."

Applications for the High School Grant Program, along with supporting materials, must be returned to USBC High School. The high school will be required to register online in the free USBC High School Coaches Registration. Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and grant recipients will be notified in writing. An application can be found by clicking here.

About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 71 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; The Bowling Foundation; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the Bowling Writers Association of America; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.