North American Bowling News
PBA Star Chris Barnes Fulfills Make-a-Wish Dream for Milwaukee Child
Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, a 13-time Professional Bowlers Association champion and one of three finalists in the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs conducted on Sunday, April 17, at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, fulfilled the Make-A-Wish dream of six-year-old David Richards Jr. of Milwaukee by bowling a game with Richards at 6 pm on Sat. April 16 at Woodland Bowl.
Richards is six years old and has Acute Lymphatic Leukemia and Brachioplexus. His Make A Wish dream was to meet Barnes at a PBA tournament and get a private lesson. The PBA completed arrangements with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Barnes, Woodland Bowl and the Richards family to make David's dream come true.
The PBA Playoffs is the final event of the 2010-11 season for the Professional Bowlers Association.
The PBA invited the news media to attend the special Make-A-Wish session, and then made arrangements for the Richards family to attend the Sunday 1 pm finals of the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs when Barnes bowled against Dick Allen and Randy Weiss, both of Columbia, S.C., in the live ESPN finals of the PBA Playoffs.
Accompanying David was his father, David Richards Sr.; mother Maria Richards; brothers Kyle Juczczak (age 15), Daniel Richards (age 4) and Derek Richards (age 4); and a Make-A-Wish escort. Make-A-Wish made arrangements to fly the Richards family to Indianapolis for this special event.
Chris Barnes is widely regarded as one of the top players in professional bowling. Earlier this season, he won the PBA World Championships to become only the sixth player in PBA history to complete the Triple Crown (PBA World Championship, U.S. Open and PBA Tournament of Champions).
Barnes also is actively involved in other humanitarian projects. Barnes and his wife Lynda are extremely active in Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation fund-raising in the wake of learning that one of his 10-year-old twin sons, Troy, has the disease. Barnes also conducts a successful youth scholarship bowling tournament over Thanksgiving weekend in the Dallas area.