strike!

Let the good times bowl! Host a fundraising party in the comfort of your own at home bowling alley. Flick on the Wii, stretch those arms and get ready to Strike out Cancer one bowling ball at a time.

INSPIRATION
Strike out Cancer!
In the US, Ten Pin Bowling is a weekly night sport for most families, and there is a huge drive to raise money for Cancer through their A Strike Against Cancer campaign. Invite all your family and friends together for your own "Bowling Night" and host the event at a local bowling alley, or do as we did and have a Wii Bowling Night. Bowlers can then donate a specific amount or a coin per pin.

INTRODUCTION
Team Wii
Divide your guests into teams, and name each team by making a banner for each using letter circular cutouts. Suggested names include TEAM Wii FIGHT CANCER and TEAM Wii WILL SURVIVE.

Download our bowling ball banner cutouts. Available from A- Z and naturally the "i" in "Wii". Available at GOOD TIMES/DOWNLOADS.

INVITATION

Bowling Bash
For the invitation two elements are key: a bowling ball and the colour pink. Simply use an online version like ours from tinyprints.com or do something similar using pink and black cardboard decorated with a white gel pen and placed inside empty CD envelopes.

Suggested invitation bylines:
• Grab your bowling shoes and start slinging!
• A strike against cancer!
• See you on the lanes!
• Let the good times bowl!
• Make some spare time to come and party!

DRESS UP

Mii t-shirts
It's bowling so it is compulsory to have matching t-shirts. Purchase inexpensive black/white or pink t shirts (or cotton collared shirts for the more authentic touch). Then decorate the back with our iron-on transfer, available to download for free on our website GOOD TIMES/DOWNLOADS.

Iron-on Transfers
Special iron-on transfer paper can be purchased from most newsagent and stationery stores. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, but most are very easy to execute, simply print, cut and iron.

T-shirts
As guests RSVP ask them for their shirt size, that way you only buy as many as you need, and they are sure to fit. You may wish to ask your guests to make a donation for these, and then add the profits to the overall amount fund raised.

Welcome tags
Make tag cards to welcome your guests, see FAVOURS for template. Inside the card include information as to which team they are in and information about the funds being raised and where they will be donated.

DECORATION
BALLoons
Use giant black balloons or Chinese paper lanterns as bowling ball decorations by adding three white round stickers to represent finger holes. And instead of hanging these up have these sitting on the floor like the real thing. Available from our online store GOODIES.

TABLE
Bowling alley
A black bamboo table runner was marked out like a bowling lane Pink masking tape was added for the foul line and five pink triangles were cut out for direction arrows.

Striking arrangement
Set up:
• Bright fuchsia peonies
• White milk bottles, with black satin ribbon bands.
• Black and white ceramic balls with signature three white dot stickers.
• Black ceramic appetizer plates with the three white dots.

MENU

Salad on a Stick
For a Caprese salad, insert cherry tomatoes on a bamboo skewer and alternate with buffalo mozzarella balls and basil leaves. Insert these into tall shot glasses, with balsamic vinegar in the bottom. For a Greek salad, skewer black olives, feta cheese cubes and cherry tomatoes.

Cheese Ball
This hors d'oeuvre is made with spreadable cottage cheese that is blended or covered with a variety of other ingredients to enhance the flavour of the cheese. Add other food items such as grated strong cheeses, herbs, nuts, fruit, or even bacon as a topping, covering, or mixed into the soft cheese. Form all of the ingredients into a round "ball" shape and place on a plate for serving with crackers, pretzels, vegetables or thick textured chips.

Kebabs
For something savoury, make skewers with different kinds of meatballs and serve with complementary dips.
Beef - BBQ Sauce dip
Chicken - Lemon and Herb dip, and a spicy Peri-Peri option
Greek Lamb - Herb Yoghurt dip

Bowling ball cupcakes
Bake or buy dark chocolate iced cupcakes. Pipe 3 dots of white icing as the finger holes on a bowling ball. Place them slightly off center. Or fashion pins and bowling balls out of fondant and place on pink iced vanilla cupcakes.

Just as sweet
Buy Oreos, and pipe the three dots in white icing or cookie cut chocolate brownies into circles and add the dots.

Refreshing
Spruce up water bottles with our easy to print and stick Spring Water bottle labels - available at GOOD TIMES/DOWNLOADS.

Mii drinks
Our Margaritas and Mojitos were labeled as "Margamiitas" and "Mowiitos" for a more Wii friendly atmosphere, add grenadine for the pink touch. Download our labels so yours too can "mii"ed and "wii"ed. Available at GOOD TIMES/DOWNLOADS.

In addition we have shared our recipes and fashioned these into "Cocktail Cards" that you can print and keep. So instead of a girly girl recipe box holder, you can start your own drinks one. Be sure to look out in future issues to add to your collection! Download all our recipes at GOOD TIMES/GOOD TASTE.

FUN AND GAMES
Play the Game
Just to sure that you are familiar with the rules of the game, we have drawn up a basic guide - but remember it is just a game. See the original article in GOOD NEWSLETTER.

And the winner is...
Use a mini chalkboard to keep track of the top scores and the total amount donated. At the end of the evening hand out prizes and pink paper rosettes for the Best Bowler, Worst Bowler, Most Improved Bowler etc.

Challenge
To make things a little interesting, have contestants:
• Bowl backwards
• Do a silly walk as they approach the lane
• Bowl with their other hand
• Bowl in slow motion
• Bowl with their eyes closed
• Predict whether they will knock over an odd or even number of pins
• Have others predict how many pins each player will knock down

Prize suggestions:
For the ladies:
Bowling ball and pin earrings
Buy from FraidyCatsPurse.etsy.com
For the men:
Bowling ball and pin cufflinks
Buy from Cufflinks.etsy.com
For little girls:
Bowling ball and pin hair clips
Buy from: Buggahbookids.etsy.com)
For little boys:
Key ring
Buy from CrestlineCreations.etsy.com

FAVOURS
Wii remote candy
For favours these great mini Wii remote candy dispensers can be bought online and repackaged into clear cellophane bags and tied with a pink ribbon. Another idea is to buy rainbow black balls or jawbreakers to replicate bowling balls and pop a few of these into a bag. Then add our downloadable bowling ball gift tag and enjoy! Visit our website GOOD TIMES/DOWNLOADS for all the free templates.