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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Chacko&#8217;s Family Bowling Center was filled with the clatter of bowling pins Sunday, but the bowlers had one thing on their mind: hoping to put an end to cancer.</p><p>For the fourth year running, bowlers gathered for Bowl for a Cause, an event raising money on behalf of the R.J. Financial Service team for the Relay for Life.</p><p>Ron Davis, 53, of Hanover Township, coordinated the event. According to him, Bowl for a Cause was born out of a desire to find a fun way to raise money.</p><p>&#8220;The first year, we had 160 bowlers and raised over $4,000,&#8221; Davis said. &#8220;This year, we have over 285 bowlers and are hoping to go over $15,000. We&#8217;re pretty close.&#8221;</p><p>Even with all those pre-registered bowlers, Davis said there were still enough supplies to allow for a few walk-ins.</p><p>Bowlers bought their way into the event for $25 a head, and a ticket got them access to three hours of bowling, pizza and soda delivered to their lane, a &#8220;Bowl for a Cause&#8221; T-shirt, and vouchers from local Subway and McDonald&#8217;s stores.</p><p>But bowling wasn&#8217;t the only way to raise money at Chacko&#8217;s on Sunday. Event organizers also had a bake sale to supplement admission ticket sales.</p><p>Jessica Johns, 26, and Sara Mandicott, 25, both of Wilkes-Barre, who were working the bake sale, said any baked item could be purchased for just $1.</p><p>&#8220;Last year, we made $700 just from the bake sale,&#8221; Johns said.</p><p><ins>And even early into the event, the bake sale was on track to make quite a bit of money.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8220;We&#8217;ve been selling things by the bag-full,&#8221; Johns said.</ins></p><p>While Bowl for a Cause attracted bowlers from many walks of life, one thing was common among many of the participants: their lives have been touched by cancer in some way.</p><p>Renee Krzywicki, 47, of Harding, and Michele Sullivan, 47, of Kingston, are friends of Davis and came out to help raise some money.</p><p>&#8220;We know a lot of people who are cancer survivors,&#8221; Krzywicki said, just before bowling a frame. &#8220;We came out to support them.&#8221;</p><p>Sullivan said her game was going well, adding that she already had two strikes under her belt for the day.</p><p>&#8220;This is my second year coming to this,&#8221; Sullivan said. &#8220;It&#8217;s always a good time.&#8221;</p><p><ins>Davis expressed thanks for being given the help to raise the money through Bowl for a Cause.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8220;Thanks to all of our sponsors, and thanks especially to Chacko&#8217;s for letting us bowl,&#8221; Davis said.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">A bowler reacts to a roll of the ball that raised money for cancer research. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL-04262017-bowl-for-cause-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>A bowler reacts to a roll of the ball that raised money for cancer research. </caption0><photoCredit0>Charlotte Bartizek | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL-04262017-bowl-for-cause-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Six-year-old Anna Wren, of Dallas, picks out her favorite ball to play at Chacko&#8217;s Family Bowling Center in Wilkes-Barre during &#8216;Bowl for a Cause&#8217; on Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL-04262017-bowl-for-cause-3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Six-year-old Anna Wren, of Dallas, picks out her favorite ball to play at Chacko&#8217;s Family Bowling Center in Wilkes-Barre during &#8216;Bowl for a Cause&#8217; on Sunday afternoon. </caption1><photoCredit1>Charlotte Bartizek | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL-03262017-bowl-for-cause-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kingston resident Melissa Perry, representing Cultural Home Stay International, a group that sponsors foreign exchange students in thier homes, celebrates her lucky frame. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL-03262017-bowl-for-cause-4.jpg</photo2><caption2>Kingston resident Melissa Perry, representing Cultural Home Stay International, a group that sponsors foreign exchange students in thier homes, celebrates her lucky frame. </caption2><photoCredit2>Charlotte Bartizek | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6119.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Bowl for a Cause a fun way to help fight cancer Sunday in Wilkes-Barre