Hundreds of people laced up their bowling shoes to raise money for Junior Achievement.

It’s the organizations biggest fundraiser of the year.

JA gives students life skills to get ready for the real world.

“We love it. We do it every year because it’s so much fun,” said Rhiannon 

Rhiannon Marvin is bowling with a team from group o, a company in Milan.

She says they look forward to participating in the junior achievement bowl-a-thon each year.

“We enjoy the fundraising at work, and also to come out here and be able to bowl and just kick back and relax is a great time for all of our employees,” said Marvin. 

Junior achievement brings business leaders into classrooms.

The volunteers teach kids skills for life after school, like financial literacy.

Marvin says employees at group o participate every year.

“We have a lot employees that do the classroom instruction, and we’ve been doing the bowl-a-thon for many years. We just think it’s a part of the community outreach that we do and helping the children,” said Marvin. 

Bowlers are helping students become more work ready and having a little fun along the way.

“It’s definitely important. We recently got new studies and new numbers out that people that have had JA classes have done better in their jobs. They have better salaries. There is a smaller unemployment rate for the people who had JA,” said Langel. 

Katie Langel is the J.A. special events manager.

She says about 12 hundred people signed up to bowl this weekend.

“It’s a fantastic feeling to know that in some way they are tied to J.A. Whether they’re a classroom volunteer. Whether their friend is, or they want to be a classroom volunteer. Or they’re like, hey it’s a bowl-a-thon. That sounds like a lot of fun. Let’s go help a good cause that is going to make the Quad Cities better,” said Langel. 

“That’s who our employees are going to be in the next few years, so we want to do the best that we can for them,” said Marvin. 

Hitting some pins, helping a cause and in the long run giving students skills that will carry them throughout their lives.

Click here to donate to Junior Achievement.