Junior Achievement 39th Annual Bowl-a-Thon Surpasses $200,000 Raised

NEWS RELEASE:
June 24, 2025

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Katie Babcock
Events & Communications Manager
716-853-1381, ext.210
kbabcock@jawny.org

Junior Achievement 39th Annual Bowl-a-Thon Surpasses $200,000 Raised!

Buffalo, N.Y. – Junior Achievement of Western New York (JA) announced that for the second year in a row, it has raised its largest total ever during its 39th Annual JA Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser: $201,309. The record year saw eight new companies join the event, almost 1,300 bowlers and 50 local companies raising funds for JA’s financial literacy, career & work readiness, and entrepreneurship programs. Proceeds from the event make it possible for Junior Achievement to reach over 11,000 Western New York students in schools and community organizations, while mobilizing hundreds of volunteers.

The total amount raised was announced at a press conference on June 23, 2025, at Tully’s Good Times Restaurant in Williamsville, a Gold Sponsor of the event. Laura Dolan of Bank of America, the event’s Presenting Sponsor; along with Katie Babcock, Events and Communications Manager of JA; Kara Hyman, JA Program Manager; and Tully Turtle, Tully’s Good Times’ mascot, unveiled the grand total.

National Fuel, led by coordinators Alex Lent and Michael Giambrone, took home the top company fundraising award for the third year in a row, once again raising over $20,000 for the cause. Bank of America came in second with $15,555 led by coordinators Judy Dec, Alicia Meehan, and Donna Szustak. Tops Friendly Markets came in third with $9,855 led by coordinators Amy Blair-Castro and Joanne Probst and followed closely by Independent Health with $9,404.50 led by coordinators Cortney Strzelczyk and Mark Bishop. Lakelet Capital companies rounded out the top five with $7,040 raised and led by coordinator Ava Mrozik. The top new fundraising company with $2,225 raised is NOCO, led by coordinators Olivia VeRost and Krista Goff. Also recognized was the most improved fundraising company, Jencap Buffalo, improving from $925 raised in 2024 to $1,950 in 2025.

Richard Czop was recognized as the event’s top individual fundraiser for raising $3,725 and qualifying him for an overnight stay at Westin Buffalo, as well as luggage donated by AAA of Western & Central NY. The runner up for top individual fundraiser was Alex Lent of National Fuel, who raised $2,230. Third place went to Kristopher Reumann of Bank of America with $2,200 raised. The top fundraising team came from Bank of America and raised a total of $3,000. They will enjoy a suite at an upcoming Buffalo Bisons game. Second place team came from National Fuel with $2,986.50 raised and third place team “Matrix” of Lakelet Capital companies raised $2,900 for JA students.

“JA’s priorities with entrepreneurship and workforce development align perfectly with Bank of America’s. Congratulations to Junior Achievement of Western New York for setting a new record and surpassing the $200,000 fundraising mark for the first time in its 39-year Bowl-a-Thon history!” said Laura Dolan, Senior VP of Bank of America.

For information on the JA Bowl-A-Thon, visit https://secure.qgiv.com/event/2025-jawny-bowlathon or contact Katie Babcock, Events &
Communication Manager, at kbabcock@jawny.org or 716-853-1381 x210. Next year’s 40^th anniversary events will take place on March 7, March 14, and May 7, 2026.

At Junior Achievement, we believe in “possible.” Each day, we work to help young people discover what’s possible in their lives. We do this by helping them connect what they learn in school with life outside the classroom. We let them know it’s possible to invest in their future, to gain a better understanding of how the world works, and to pursue their dreams. We show them that it’s possible for tomorrow to be a better day.

About Junior Achievement of Western New York

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students in kindergarten through 12th grade about financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career & work readiness through experiential, hands-on programs. In the 2023-2024 school year, Junior Achievement of WNY enriched the lives of 10,905 students in 85 schools and community organizations throughout the eight counties of Western New York. For more information about Junior Achievement of Western New York and how you can make a difference in a child’s life, visit our website at www.jawny.org, follow us on Twitter at @JAofWNY, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jaofwny.

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