On February 17th, the local bowling alley will be the site of some friendly competition on the lanes between teams of bowlers from local businesses and organizations, all for a good cause.

The Santa Clarita Valley Optimist Club, long time supporters of children’s programs, is hosting the event, where proceeds will go to benefit Heads Up Therapy on Horseback.

Will the Sheriff’s Department team out “roll” the CHP’s team? Will team KHTS rely on Hometown Morning Show host John Summers to make us champions? It’s anybody’s guess.

Regardless of what the scoring sheets add up to at the end of the night, one thing is for certain; the lives of disabled children in Santa Clarita will benefit.

Heads Up Therapy on Horseback is a local non profit that puts disabled children on and around horses to help enrich their lives.

In many cases, riding on the horses sparks rhythmic consistency in the children, and games such as throwing a beanbag into a bucket helps hone coordination that is otherwise difficult to teach.

 In addition, the children form a bond with the horses, and it calms them and adds a higher quality of life.

In Santa Clarita, there is a growing popularity for horseback therapy, and more and more families are finding themselves on waiting lists. At heads up, they have the space and personnel to add more children; however they need help to cover costs of the program such as feed for the horses, and safety equipment.

That’s where February 17th comes into play. The Bowl-A-Thon offers a chance for people to get sponsorships for themselves, or a team to participate. The money from the sponsorships goes to Heads Up Therapy, but if you can’t bowl, you can still help. You can choose to sponsor a horse, which will provide all the services and food of one of the horses for a year. Your name or your company’s name will also be hung up over the stall.

Also, a $500 door prize will be given out to a bowler at the event, with names being drawn out of a hat. This is not a raffle, just a prize for one lucky bowler.

The Bowl-A-Thon will be held at the Santa Clarita Lanes on Soledad Canyon Road.

If you are interested in bowling, or making a donation, contact Michael with the Optimist Club at 661-236-7265.