Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The Rockford region will play host to a collegiate bowling tournament next year that will bring hundreds of bowlers to the city and pump hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy.
The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau announced Thursday that the Leatherneck Classic Bowling Tournament would be held here for the first time Nov. 9-10. The tournament, which features 100 collegiate teams and more than 800 bowlers, was previously held in the Quad Cities.
“After 23 years of hosting this prestigious college bowling tournament in the Quad Cities, I am very excited to work with Lindsay Arellano and Tony Hall to bring the Leatherneck Classic to the greater Rockford area,” tournament director Shawn Wochner said in a news release.
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The tournament has four divisions and bowling will take place at Don Carter Lanes in Rockford, The Cherry Bowl in Cherry Valley and Park Lanes Bowl in Loves Park. This tournament will fill approximately 800 hotel room nights with visitors projected to spend $329,000 while visiting the Rockford region, according to the visitors bureau’s estimates.
Don Carter Lanes, 4007 E. State St., will host the varsity men. The Cherry Bowl, 7171 Cherryvale N. Blvd., will host the varsity women and Park Lanes Bowl, 5318 N. Second St., will host junior varsity teams.
The Leatherneck Classic is the largest Tier 2 event in the country and includes two-year and four-year colleges from around the Midwest as well as Florida and Oklahoma.
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The Sommer family, which owns Don Carter Lanes, will also use the event to raise funds for Bowlers Veteran Link, a national nonprofit that support’s America’s veterans and active-duty service members through various therapy programs.
“I am also excited to partner with the Sommer family and appreciate their commitment to gift all admission donations to the Bowlers Veteran Link,” Wochner said.