The NTBA Scholarship Fund was formed in 1996 originally as the Gail Navarroli Memorial Scholarship Fund to honor a person who had dedicated her bowling career to the youth in Niagara.
This scholarship fund gives funds to the college/university of one girl and one boy in Niagara who applied to the Fund and were chosen by the NTBA Board of Directors.
Since that time we have added scholarship funds to our three yearly NTBA youth tournaments and the Youth Bowler of the Year from the three houses in Niagara who have youth leagues – Cataract, Fairview and Jeff’s Bowlorama – and yearly to the high girl and boy intermediate and senior youth bowlers in the association. At the present time NTBA gives out $2,700 yearly to youth bowlers.
Since Canadian Tenpin Federation (our national governing body) does not allow the youth to receive any money directly as this would change their amateur status and threaten their acceptance at a college or university in the US which has a bowling program, this scholarship money can be used for tuition, room, board (on campus) and books that are used for their course at the college or university that they have been accepted to.
At the present time, our fundraising for the Scholarship Fund consists of holding draws at the youth tournaments and we do accept donations from the public. The youth in our association are the future of our sport and we need to support them and help them proceed with their education after high school.
Charlotte Konkle
Ex President/Scholarship Chair, NTBA