The Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club is hosting a 12 Hour Lawn Bowling Marathon to help feed hungry kids on Sunday, June 1 at the Bowen Park Lawn Bowling Club. (Submitted)

By Jordan Davidson

rolling bowls

Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club hosting marathon matches to help feed hungry kids

Jun 1, 2025 | 5:53 AM

NANAIMO — An extended lawn bowling tournament is taking place this weekend, all to help support a local school lunch program.

The Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club (NLBC) is hosting the 12 Hour Lawn Bowling Marathon this Sunday, June 1, at the Bowen Park Lawn Bowling Club, located in the middle of the park.

Event coordinator Bruce McNevin said they first hosted this event last year as a spur-of-the-moment fundraiser, with more time to plan this year’s event.

“We wanted an opportunity for our less-experienced bowlers to have a chance to bowl in the tournament environment. And then we were talking about it, and thought ‘well, maybe we should have a cause.'”

Inspired by his niece, a local substitute teacher, McNevin said they wanted to help out their breakfast and lunch program at Fairview Elementary School, raising over $500 last year.

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According to a recent report on child poverty, almost 18 per cent of Nanaimo children are living in poverty, meaning they don’t always have food available for breakfast, forcing them to go to school hungry.

“I can’t imagine what it would be like to be a child that comes to school in the morning and hasn’t had breakfast, and more than likely, hasn’t had a proper supper, and then to sit through a class and try to learn,” said McNevin.

(L-R) President of the NLBC Ian Yewer, NLBC games director Heather Morrison, and principal of Fairview Elementary School Cindy Haack, being presented with the donated money from the 2024 lawn bowling marathon event. (Submitted)

With a fundraising goal of $2,000 this year for Fairview, the 40 registered participants will be split into five teams with games going from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., with breaks in between games for refreshments.

McNevin said they’ve received a ton of support and donations from local businesses, as well as team members getting donations from friends and family as they neared their fundraising goal by Friday morning.

He said the community is more than welcome to come down and watch the action.

“We’re really hoping it’s something that continues on into the future, cause it really does take a community to raise kids, and this is a pretty big community.”

More information on the NLBCb can be found here on their website.

Saturday, June 7, also marks National Bowls Day, a country-wide celebration of lawn bowling.

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