National
Council
of Youth Sports
7185 S.E. Seagate Lane
Stuart, FL 34997
Phone: 772-781-1452
Fax: 772-781-7298
youthsports@ncys.org
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STRIVE:
Sports Teach Respect
Initiative Values and Excellence
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Hershey's
STRIVE Award Program
Frank Wilkinson
Local Administrator
of the Year
Staten Island USBC
Association
(USBC: United States Bowling
Congress)
Staten Island, New York
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Sally S. Johnson, CSA
Executive Director
National Council of Youth Sports
772-781-1452
youthsports@ncys.org
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NO SPARES
HERE, WILKINSON STRIKES BIG AND
WINS NATIONAL COUNCIL OF YOUTH
SPORTS AWARD
Passion and commitment teamed
up with extraordinary
leadership, “pay it forward”
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STATEN ISLAND, NY (August 15,
2008) – Frank Wilkinson has had
a lifetime journey in the sport
of bowling since the age of
five. Wilkinson has risen
above the obstacles. His
leadership skills and devotion
to youth bowling is striking an
inspiring impact on youngsters
all across the nation.
At just 21 years of age, there
is no stopping Wilkinson who has
already made a positive impact
on children, in all aspects of
the bowling industry as well as
society as a whole. For his
outstanding dedication and
achievement, Frank Wilkinson of
Staten Island, New York will be
honored with NCYS’ Hershey’s
STRIVE Award as Local Youth
Sports Administrator of the
Year.
STRIVE stands for Sports Teach
Respect, Initiative, Values and
Excellence and the award honors
adult leaders for their
“heartfelt passion, enthusiastic
commitment and contagious spirit
to help kids succeed in youth
sports activities.” This year,
NCYS’ Hershey’s STRIVE Award
will be presented to a national
administrator, a volunteer, a
coach, and a local
administrator. Honorees were
nominated by team members,
parents or colleagues and judged
by a panel of NCYS officials.
Wilkinson began showing
leadership qualities at age 11
when he volunteered with the
Staten Island Young American
Bowling Alliance Youth Leaders
Chapter chairing numerous
committees before being elected
President at just 14 years of
age. During this time, Wilkinson
developed opportunities for
youth bowlers of all ages to
compete and earn scholarship money on the
lanes. Four years later he was
elected President of the New
York State Youth Leaders Chapter
of the United States Bowling
Congress (USBC). October 2007,
Wilkinson was elected President
of the Staten Island USBC
Association and today remains an
active leader in USBC and
Bowling Proprietors Association.
Wilkinson has worked in the
family business, Rab’s Country
Lanes for the past eight years
primarily with youth activities.
His Dad, a one-time Pro Bowler,
died this past year. Wilkinson
is now responsible to fill the
shoes of his father as
Proprietor forcing him to cut
back on his college education to
devote his time to the family
business 7 days a week. He
continues to attend DeVry
University as a part-time
student.
“Passionately involved in all
aspects of the bowling industry
and a strong advocate for youth
bowling, Wilkinson has also
introduced the sport of bowling
to school students as a part of
their physical education
classes. He is also responsible
for his bowling center’s
Have-A-Ball program, where kids
join for instruction and receive
a bowling ball during the
season. Under Wilkinson’s
leadership the program has grown
from 50 to over 280 youngsters,”
said Staten Island (N.Y.) USBC
and New York State Women's
Bowling Association Director Liz
DeHart.
Frank Wilkinson is a respected
voice for all youth bowlers
telling the kids and the
volunteers and says, “It is our
job to pay it forward.” Through
Wilkinson’s program, he and his
staff are creating lifetime
bowlers providing a fun and safe
environment where youth bowlers
can learn an exciting new sport,
gain confidence, and develop
personal skills to enjoy their
whole lives.
Sally S. Johnson, NCYS Executive
Director, noted that the lack of
recognition given to outstanding
adult leaders involved in youth
sports prompted NCYS to create
the STRIVE awards five years
ago. “Honoring America’s
hometown heroes on a national
scale gives them the praise they
deserve,” Johnson said. “It is
awe-inspiring to pay tribute to
these exceptional individuals
who devote countless hours each
week, all while juggling
full-time careers, families, and
other commitments.”
Wilkinson will be honored on
Sunday, October 26, 2008 at
Rab's Country Lanes during the
Bowling Against Breast Cancer
Bowl-a-Thon presented by the
Staten Island USBC (United
States Bowling Congress)
Association. The STRIVE event
presentation is hosted by the
NCYS and The Hershey Company.
During the celebration,
Wilkinson will receive a check
for $2,500 which he has
announced will be donated to the
Staten Island USBC Association.
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STRIVE stands for Sports Teach
Respect Initiative Values and
Excellence. Frank Wilkinson was
honored as the National Council
of Youth Sports Hershey’s STRIVE
Award winner for Local
Administrator of the Year on
Sunday October 26, 2008 for
having accomplished the
essentials of STRIVE. |
Frank Wilkinson hails from
beautiful and historical Staten
Island New York!
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Sally Johnson, Executive
Director of the National Council
of Youth Sports presents STRIVE
Award winner Frank Wilkinson
with a hand-engraved crystal
award, a check, AND very large
Hershey bar…sweet!
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Special thanks to NCYS’ amazing
sponsor, Hershey’s Fundraising.
Hershey’s sponsorship of STRIVE
stems from the company's
devotion to helping children of
all ages DREAM, REACH and
SUCCEED in everything they do.
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Frank was born into the sport of
bowling. He comes from a bowling
family where his father started
as a pin boy. Frank like his Dad
went on to be successful bowling
proprietors. His father, Rab
Wilkinson, past away last
February. We can only imagine
how very proud Rab Wilkinson
would be of his son’s
accomplishments which now
include managing the 48-lane
family-owned center.
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Frank and his mother share a
special moment.
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Frank’s love for bowling began
at just 11 years old as a
volunteer through the Staten
Island Young American Bowling
Alliance Youth Leaders Chapter.
From that moment there was no
stopping Frank Wilkinson’s
devotion to youth bowling. He
has held leadership positions in
nearly every local, state and
national bowling organization
since.
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Liz DeHart from the Staten
Island USBC nominated Frank for
the STRIVE Award with a first
class testimonial. DeHart also
presented Frank with a special
Bowling Pin tribute! Standing
L-R: Frank Wilkinson, Nazareth
Laursen, and Liz DeHart.
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The Staten Island USBC
Association was Frank’s choice
of organization to receive a
check in the amount of $2,500.
The money will be used to help
support their registered
volunteer program and their
in-school bowling program.
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This voice of youth bowlers is
on a roll striking it big,
paying it forward, creating
lifetime bowlers for years to
come. Frank and his mother stand
proud. |
Priscilla Zonneville, President
of the New York State USBC
Women’s Bowling Association
presented Frank with a
praiseworthy plaque. |
Linda Barron, President of the
Staten Island Chamber of
Commerce presented Frank with
their Community Service Award.
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The United States Bowling
Congress (USBC) showered Frank
with publicity in publication
after publication. Elected
officials from every level of
government honored the STRIVE
winner with letters,
proclamations, citations and
special tributes. An official
State of New York flag as well
as a United States flag were
flown in Frank’s honor. |
The Wilkinson Family are all
smiles beaming with pride for
Frank’s honor.
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The recognition event was held
during the Bowling Against
Breast Cancer Bowl-A-Thon held
at Rab’s Country Lanes. Their
goal was to raise $50,000 during
the bowl-a-thon!
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The Statue of Liberty was
dedicated as a universal symbol
of freedom, opportunity and
democracy 122 years ago on
October 28, 1886. It is located
in New York Harbor on Liberty
Island just off Staten Island. |
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Other STRIVE winners
In addition to Local
Administrator of the Year, the
other 2008 STRIVE Award winners
for National Administrator,
Coach/Official of the Year, and
Volunteer of the Year include:
Ann Cody of Washington, D.C. is
being recognized as NCYS’
Hershey’s STRIVE National
Administrator of the Year. She
is the director of partnerships
and public policy for
BlazeSports America
headquartered in Atlanta,
Georgia. Cody has dedicated her
career to ensuring that young
people with disabilities have
the opportunity to participate
in and benefit from sports. Cody
is a Paralympic Gold Medalist in
athletics and competed on three
U.S. Paralympic teams. As a
sport instructor, she has taught
aspiring young athletes and
their coaches training
principles and techniques in
wheelchair racing, injury
prevention, sports psychology
and racing strategies. Whether
advocating for the creation of
physical activity standards for
people with disabilities or
shaping landmark legislation,
Cody’s leadership is making a
significant difference on
overcoming the barriers and
advancing the lives of youth
with physical disabilities
through sport and healthy
lifestyles.
Steve Kelley whose indelible
imprint he has left on the lives
of hundreds of highly
disadvantaged youth at the Boys
& Girls Clubs of Lawrence,
Massachusetts has earned him the
title of NCYS’ 2008 Hershey’s
STRIVE Award for Coach of the
Year. Academic Basketball is
Steve Kelley’s brainchild where
every boy and girl must not only
present a satisfactory weekly
report from his/her teacher but
must also attend a one-hour
study session before each
practice. Kelley says, “These
kids are my heroes. They
overcome odds that would
pulverize adults. The drugs, the
gangs, the guns, the violence,
the teen pregnancy and the
family problems they encounter
each day would challenge a saint
to stay on the straight and
narrow. The kids do it. They
work at their lives daily and
they are the survivors and the
‘thrivers’ we read about as
incredible successes. How lucky
can on person be to work with
these kids!”
Dan Dionisio of Olney, Maryland
was chosen as the recipient of
NCYS’ Hershey’s STRIVE Award for
Volunteer of the Year. For
nearly 20 years, Dionisio has
been a coach or on the board of
directors of the Olney Boys &
Girls Community Sports
Association helping OBGC
children for eleven years before
his own kids were born. His
volunteer leadership is
responsible for transforming a
small disorganized organization
serving 1,800 children, into a
highly recognized organization
serving 7,000 children on a
118-acre nationally acclaimed
facility. Dionisio has set a
standard for adult behavior in
the club. He is a role model
motivating nearly 800 volunteer
coaches to make child-base
decisions where no children are
turned away due to cost and by
creating a club environment
where children flourish in
superior quality youth sports
programs.
EDITOR’S NOTE: For more
information about Frank
Wilkinson, the Hershey’s STRIVE
Award or NCYS, please contact
Sally S. Johnson, NCYS Executive
Director at 772-781-1452 or
youthsports@ncys.org
ABOUT The NCYS:
 The National Council of Youth
Sports (NCYS) comprises the
who's who in the youth sports
industry. Its membership represents
more than 180 organizations/corporations
serving 52-million boys and
girls participating in organized
youth sports throughout the
United States. NCYS members
include organizations such
as: Little League Baseball,
Pop Warner Football, U.S.
Youth Soccer Association,
United States Olympic Committee,
and Boys & Girls Clubs
of America.
To learn more about the NCYS
visit www.ncys.org.
ABOUT The Hershey Company:
 The Hershey Company has long
offered successful fundraising
programs for youth in America.
Its sponsorship of the STRIVE
Awards stems from The Hershey
Company's devotion to helping
children of all ages to "Dream,
Reach and Succeed" in
everything that they do. For
more information about The
Hershey Company and its fundraising
programs, visit www.hersheysfundraising.com.
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