Bowling for St. B's

Lanes were ready, teams were set, and it was time to bowl at the recent “Bowling for St. B’s” Bowl-A-Thon at Del Rosa Lanes in San Bernardino. Bowlers split into teams, laced their shoes securely and aimed to bowl strikes for the second annual event benefiting St. Bernadine’s Medical Center. The event in its second year has become one of the many fundraising events put on by the St. Bernadine Medical Center Foundation. As the Bowl-A-Thon began at noon, volunteers prepared raffle tickets and set the table with more than a dozen donated gift-baskets and gift-cards from various local sponsors including the State Street Winery, Big Mike’s Rooter and Plumbing Co., Subway and Starbucks. Though there was competition in each lane, the event was filled with fun and laughs. Dr. Oz Garcia, DDS, a member of the foundation’s board of trustees, participated in the event to support the hospital and for a good time. “I’m looking forward to just having fun, a little bit of good community fun. If you want to laugh, then watch, he said about his bowling skills." Sara Hector, a member of the St. Bernardine Foundation, was approached to coordinate an event for the organization and jumped at the chance. “I thought let’s try a Bowl-A-Thon because its fun and people can bring their children. Our events are mostly adult-oriented, so we thought this would be a good event to try and get the community involved,” she said. The event did just that for St. Bernardine Medical Center employee Nancy Minjares, a 15-year clerical support employee who brought along her husband Raul Minjares, who is also a Dignity Health employee with San Bernardino Community Hospital and their two children, Raul Jr. and Roman. It was the families’ first time bowling together at the Bowl-A-Thon. Minjares is involved in a bowling league and is a regular donor to the Foundation, “I have been giving to the hospital for a while now so I thought this was a good event to come to,” Minjares said, “It’s good what they’re doing,” she said. After the two hours of bowling, volunteers, Katie Bixler and Victoria Vanderford, employees at Visiting Angels, a living assistance company owned by board member, Sara Hector, passed out the various donated gifts and gift cards to raffle winners. For over four decades, the Foundation, a non-profit organization has received donated charitable gifts exclusively for the Medical Center’s needs. The Foundation is governed by the 38-volunteer member board of trustees. 100 percent of the proceeds of charitable contributions go directly to the Medical Center. Since 1931, St. Bernardine has provided high-regarded care with its 463-bed non-profit facility, and serves over 17,000 patients per year. The hospital provides a wide range of care from, family care to heart surgery. The most recent programs expanded by Foundation funding include: orthopedics, neonatal and maternal services, wound care, the women’s wellness center, imaging, and the heart program which is the second-largest in southern California and ranked among the top ten in the state.