Youths in the Frederick area had a chance to experience duckpin bowling, munch on pizza, laugh with others their age and take home donated school supplies during a back-to-school night at Frederick’s Village Lanes Bowling Alley Friday.
The event was organized by members of the FOCUS (Foreseeing Others’ Concerns, Understanding Situations) Foundation. The informal organization was started by a group of men who wanted ‘‘to do different things, mainly for the youth,” said Rob Bowins, FOCUS Foundation treasurer and the organizer of Friday’s event.
‘‘The night is about bowling, pizza, fun and fellowship,” Bowins said.
Children ranging in age from 5 to 18 were among those bowling duckpins that night. Many people came with their families, and most knew each other through church groups.
The mission of the FOCUS Foundation is to give back to the community. The organization takes donations and is sponsored, in part, by church groups, so that it can have events such as the bowling night.
The organization is open to all people. However, so far it has expanded mostly through word of mouth, and the outreach is limited, Bowins said.
This is the third year that the group has done the bowling back-to-school night. Each year, at the end of the two hours allotted for bowling and eating pizza, the FOCUS Foundation hands out school supplies, including pencils, folders, dividers and binders.
Bowins said though the group has been in existence for more than four years, the first few years were a growing process. The group now holds events three to four times a year, including summer events, such as a golf outing. ‘‘We’re always looking for different ideas and groups to assist,” Bowins said.
The FOCUS Foundation recently started working with the Big Brothers⁄Big Sisters of Frederick County, in the hopes of mentoring children on the agency’s waiting list. The members are also hoping to hold a basketball clinic in October.
‘‘It’s a great thing they’re having for the kids. To get them out there together, give them something to do,” said Angela Fossett, a relative of a group member and a bowling participant.
About 50 people attended the bowling event, with more filtering in throughout the evening. So many children attended that the FOCUS Foundation had to order more pizzas and buy more school supplies to hand out.
Asyah West, 13, said she heard about the event through her church. She said she was having a lot of fun, and she would definitely go to another event organized by the FOCUS Foundation.
Jackie Thompson, wife of a FOCUS Foundation member, said she and other relatives attended to offer support for the organization.
‘‘It’s a really good thing they’re doing here, giving back to the community,” Thompson said.
Originally published at The Gazette. Thursday, August 25, 2005