Annual 'Bowl for Jason's Friends' Event Returning in March 2024

One of the most fun, annual non-profit fundraising events is returning to Casper for year number twenty-six.

The 26th annual Bowl for Jason's Friends will return to El Marko Lanes on Saturday, March 2nd, 2024, benefitting the Jason's Friends Foundation.

A press release from the foundation states:

On Saturday, March 2, people around the state will come together to support Wyoming kids facing one of life’s greatest challenges – cancer. This year marks the 26th Annual Bowl for Jason’s Friends and, to celebrate, this year the event will take place at El Mark-O Lanes in Casper, as well as Camelanes Bowling Center in Gillette.

As the fundraiser celebrates its 26th year, the community reflects on how far the foundation has come from its humble beginnings. Jason’s Friends Foundation was created in 1996 in memory of nine-year-old Jason Eades after he passed away from a brainstem tumor. His parents, Rocky and Lisa Eades, along with a few close friends and family, were determined to help others after seeing first-hand the devastation that a cancer diagnosis can wreak on a family – physically, emotionally, and financially.

In the beginning Jason’s Friends Foundation provided mostly emotional support by just being there for families who had a child with cancer. Volunteers would deliver meals and help in any way they could. Early on, it became apparent that these families needed more than just a few warm meals. They needed financial assistance.

Shortly after Jason’s Friends was founded, the Eades and other Jason’s Friends volunteers witnessed a Casper family lose everything because they had a child with cancer. After the family’s child was diagnosed with cancer, they began drowning in bills. The family of five lost their home in the process and had to move into subsidized housing. The children were forced to leave their friends and neighborhood school behind. The family faced the ultimate loss in the end – their child died from cancer. That moment was a turning point. Jason’s Friends vowed to never let another Wyoming family lose everything because they have a child with cancer.

To provide a greater level of support, the foundation started fundraising. Bowl for Jason’s Friends began in 1999, with the first event raising $37,884. Over the years, Bowl for Jason’s Friends has grown exponentially, with last year’s event raising nearly $375,000. The event has been a huge success with hundreds of supporters.

“We have come a long way since the first event when there were only a handful of families to support,” said Christine Robinson, the Executive Director of Jason’s Friends. “This event is our one and only fundraiser and accounts for almost 50% of the annual financial assistance we provide to our Jason’s Friends families.”