PHI GAMMA DELTA
BOWLAPALOOZA
WHAT IS BOWLAPALOOZA?
Bowlapalooza is an easy and fun way for Phi Gamma Delta chapters to raise funds to support the
USO. Bowlapalooza is a fundraising event to raise money and awareness to support the troops
and their families. The formula for raising funds through Bowlapalooza is simple! Your chapter
will recruit bowling teams, and the team members will then raise money to benefit the USO.
CHECKLIST FOR ORGANIZING A BOWLAPALOOZA
_____ Appoint a person in your chapter to take the lead on this project.
_____ Find a bowling alley to host your event and pick a date.
_____ Register your event on TEAM USO (teamuso.org).
_____ Recruit bowling teams. Each bowling team can set up a page/become a member of your
Bowlapalooza through teamuso.org. This will allow them to send out emails to their
friends, family and alumni asking for donations to support their team.
_____ Find sponsors.
_____ Obtain donations, including food, drinks, prizes, etc.
_____ Market your bowling event on campus – banners, campus radio, newspaper, etc.
_____ Invite local celebrities and your favorite professors to attend the event.
_____ Host your bowling event.
_____ Send thank you notes to all the bowlers, donors and sponsors (be sure to thank the
bowling alley)
_____ Deposit money and send check(s) to USO.
19
This packet of information includes more details for each of these items. You will also find a
sample budget and timeline to help you stay organized during the planning of your bowling
event.
BOWLING TEAM RECRUITMENT: HOW MANY TEAMS SHOULD I RECRUIT?
Match one team to each available lane at your
bowling alley.
How do I recruit teams?
 Call the presidents of other
organizations on campus and ask to speak at
their next meeting about forming a team.
Speak at the IFC and Panhellenic meetings.
 It is important to speak to the entire
group so you are able to reach more
people to form a team. Bring a bowler kit with you to leave with
the president, so anyone in the group can get the information.
 Each Bowler Kit should include:• Event overview one pager • USO one pager•
Fundraising Ideas one pager• How to Raise $300 in One Week one pager• Sample
fundraising letters/emails• Awards categories (top bowler, top fundraising team, highest
scoring team, craziest t-shirts, most spirit, etc.)
 Have extra bowler kits on hand in case the organization is interested in creating more
than one team. Remind them that each bowling team needs six team members, including
the team leader.
 Teams can include SGA, fraternities, other sororities, honor clubs, band, spirit groups, or
even groups of friends. Each team will have a team leader. He or she will be your contact
person to communicate information about the event.
 Fun prizes can be awarded to the teams with the best bowling shirts, highest and lowest
score, the team that raises the most money and the individual who raises the most money.
 Bowlapalooza is a community service project for every organization involved.
20
TALKING POINTS WHEN RECRUITING TEAMS
With the extended and multiple deployments, our military families need our support more than
ever. Many of our troops are leaving behind children who have only seen them in pictures.
Others serving in forward operating bases in war-torn Afghanistan are looking for any bit of
normal life or piece of home. That’s why Phi Gamma Delta has decided to join the USO in
supporting our brave men and women in uniform.
By participating in Bowlapalooza, we are raising money to help the USO support our troops and
their families
- $15 can provide one care package with the comforts of home
- $50 can provide 140 phone calls to loved ones back home
- $50 can help five deployed parents read their children a bedtime story
- $100 can provide 40 troops with a warm meal and a place to rest in our centers on the frontlines
Phi Gamma Delta is proud to be partnered with a charity that is so responsible with the funds it
raises. Nearly 90% of resources and donations received goes directly to support the troops and
their families.
Bowlapalooza is a fun way to get multiple groups on campus together. Remember to talk about
rewarding teams for things such as the team with the craziest bowling shirts. Encourage other
members of the organization who are not going to bowl on the team to come and cheer for their
team.
21
FUNDRAISING
Ask each bowling team to raise a minimum of $600. $600 is easy – that’s just $100 per bowler
on each team! Make sure you collect all the money by the night of the event.

This allows you to announce how much money was raised at the event and recognize top
fundraising teams/individuals

It is much harder to collect money from volunteers after the event.

And remind teams—that this is the minimum to participate—there will be prizes for top
fundraising teams!
Have a donations jar/jug the night of the event for
spectators attending the event.
You may want to set up a way for people to
improve their score by making a donation—
similar to what happens in a golf tournament with
a golfer buying a “mulligan” to get another shot.
Only those who had raised their minimum required
would be allowed to “buy” in. For example:
$1: adds one pin to their total score.
$25: turns their score into a strike.
USO will recognize the top fundraising chapters at your FIJI Leadership Academy.
Don’t forget to use TEAM USO! By registering on TEAMUSO.org, your chapter will be able
to set up a web page to promote the event and send out emails to your contacts—asking them to
sign up to bowl or make a donation or give updates to them about the event!
FUNDRAISING IDEAS
ONLINE CAMPAIGN
Each bowler registering using TEAM USO (teamuso.org) will be able to set up their own
fundraising page. Bowlers can send e-mails out to friends and family with the webpage as a link
to announce this exciting way to donate. They can also let them know what they are doing, why,
and how they can help. Visitors to the site can type in the bowler’s name and make a donation to
that bowler’s goal. Bowlers will be able to track how much money has been donated to them
online. (See chapter 3 tools and tips for a sample e-mail.)
22
COIN COLLECTION IN DORMS
Place a coin collection jar in a secure location of each team
member’s dorm for one week. Ask students to drop in their spare
change to help your team. Or set up a table in the dorm to collect
change/donations.
COIN COLLECTION ON CAMPUS
Have members of your bowling team stand in popular areas on
campus with a coin collection jar.
LETTER-WRITING CAMPAIGN—EMAIL OR REGULAR MAIL
Send a letter to your friends, family, alumni and everyone else you know, asking them to sponsor
you. Letters are an easy and effective way to raise money. (See chapter 3 tools and tips for
sample letters.) The key to a successful letter is asking for a specific dollar amount. Each team
can set up their own page on TEAM USO to collect donations and then send out emails directing
friends and family to make an online donation—this makes the money counting much easier!
Other ideas: Bake Sale, Car Wash, swear jars, late to meeting jars, and Jar Wars.
“I just wanted to thank the USO for the USO2GO that our unit received. It has been
great for morale and our unit has used it very frequently. It can be difficult out here
sometimes, and it can be these types of things that can make a difference for our
service members- Capt USN MC
23
Donations –
Helping to Keep Your Costs
Down!
Find a bowling alley willing to host your event for
no cost—your bowling alley on campus would be a
great place to host the event. Get food donated
from area restaurants or grocery stores (make sure it
is OK with the bowling alley first). The soda
distributor for your campus would be a great
place to start, or the bowling alley may be willing to
provide snacks and soda. You can get movie passes
or restaurant gift cards donated as prizes. See
Sample donor request letter in tools and tips.
Sponsorships – Helping to Increase Your
Revenue!
Sponsors are a great way to increase your bowling
event’s fund-raising dollars! Brainstorm all the
businesses your chapter would like to approach to be
a sponsor. Think about all the establishments where
your members shop, dine and visit. Split the list up
among chapter members. Have the brother that
knows someone at the business or visits the business
often take the sponsorship proposal in person to ask
for his or her support.
The brother that takes in the sponsorship proposal
into the business should also follow up with a phone
call within a few days. Send a thank you note right
away if they agree to be a sponsor.
A sample sponsorship proposal is in chapter 3: tools
and tips. Stay on top of all the benefits the sponsor
should receive. Make sure someone is collecting the
necessary items from the sponsor, such as banners.
Recognize your highest-level sponsors by adding
them to your TEAM USO event page! Don’t be
afraid to ask!
24
Ideas for Sponsors
• Greek store
• Pizza places that deliver to
campus
• Gyms
• Barbers/hair salons chapter
members go
• Clothing stores near campus
• The bank your chapter has its
account with
• A restaurant or hotel where your
chapter hosts functions
• Local businesses owned or
managed by alumni
SAMPLE BUDGET: BOWLAPALOOZA
Revenue from Sponsors
1 Strike Sponsor
5 Supporter of the Troops
$500
$750 (5 X $150)
Revenue from Bowling Teams
10 Teams -$600 each
$6,000
Revenue from Night of Event
Collection Jar
$50
Total Revenue:
$7,300
EXPENSES






Trophies
Bowling Alley
Bowling Shoes
Sodas and Water
Snacks
Supplies – misc.
$100
DONATED
DONATED
DONATED
$100 + DONATED
$100
Total Expenses:
$300
NET REVENUE
$7,000
25
BOWLAPALOOZA TIMELINE
EIGHT MONTHS OUT

Determine the role each brother will play in
planning the event like chairperson, accountant, logistics
etc..

Secure a bowling center that is willing to donate lanes and
shoes.

Select date and time of event with bowling center.

Send out sponsor proposals.

Start recruiting teams
SIX MONTHS OUT

Chairperson secure team leaders.

Create flyers and sign up sheets for the event.

Make sure team leaders have materials they need to recruit bowlers – info sheets,
envelopes for bowlers to collect money and a sign up sheet to list bowlers on their team
THREE MONTHS OUT

Work with campus newspaper, and radio and TV stations to promote the event.

Confirm with team leaders that they have recruited 10 bowlers to bowl on their team.

Get food, drinks and prizes donated
TWO MONTHS OUT

Have chapter members sign up to volunteer at the event. You will need volunteers to pick
up donated items, work the registration table, help the bowling center with any needs,
help determine winners and clean up after the event.
ONE MONTH OUT

Determine that all team leaders have filled their teams.

Hang posters, banners or flyers around campus to promote the event.
POST EVENT
26

Send thank you’s to all donors, participants, team leaders, sponsors and the bowling
center.
EVENT DAY OUTLINE: BOWLAPALOOZA
Volunteer Duties

Pick up donated food & drinks

Set up food & drinks at the bowling alley

Set up registration area

Hang any sponsor banners

Man registration table as bowlers arrive

Collect and count money from bowlers

Stand at door with donation jar for attendees to drop money in as they arrive and leave

Clean up after event
MC Duties

Welcome everyone

Introduce teams

Introduce sponsors and donors and thank them (including the bowling alley)

Announce winners

Announce amount raised for USO
Bowling Alley Duties

Pass out shoes to bowlers

Make sure lanes work properly throughout event

Help with scoring as teams finish

Provide trashcans and bags
Special Guests

27
You can invite a USO volunteer, veteran or someone from campus ROTC to event and
explain how the USO helps support troops and families.