Belt Entertainment hosts ninth annual 'Strike Out Cancer' event

Daniel Slaybaugh, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.
Updated ·2 min read

Oct. 23—The Belt Entertainment Center, also known as Belt Bowl, played host to the ninth annual 'Strike Out Cancer' event Sunday, starting from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The event served as a means of raising funds for and bringing awareness to cancer and cancer research.

Strike Out Cancer's Event Organizer Kitty Karr spoke about her experiences seeing loved ones struggle with cancer, inspiring her to start the event in hopes of helping the St. Joseph community.

"This is the ninth annual 'Strike Out Cancer' event," she said. "I started it (after) my mom had breast cancer and I had a good friend who died of brain cancer, so one night I just decided that I wanted to do something to help the community and help fight all cancer, so I decided to start a bowling event and that's where it all started."

According to Karr, her group helps cancer patients with expenses that they otherwise may not be able to afford.

"All of the proceeds stay here locally in St. Joe," she said. "It helps with unforeseen expenses that cancer patients might need for travel, hotel stays, prescriptions, something that they might not be able to afford."

Karr stressed that the funds will go to helping all forms of cancer patients even though the event is held in October.

Karr continued by stating that bowling provided her group with opportunities that other mediums can not.

"Well, I used to have it at the Olympia Lanes and with other fundraisers that have happened, I know that other fundraisers used bowling," Karr said. "Bowling is perfect because you don't have to worry about the weather and people come out and bowl for fun in a way that's unlike volleyball or softball, so I thought it would be a good fit for people to come out."

Those in attendance paid twenty-five dollars per person with eighty percent of the day's earnings going directly to the cancer awareness group.

More information on St. Joseph's Strike Out Cancer group is available at https://www.facebook.com/people/Strike-Out-Cancer-St-Joe-MO.

Daniel Slaybaugh can be reached at daniel.slaybaugh@newspressnow.com.