Bowling For Good: Local Student Leverages Passion For Bowling To Fight Child Hunger

March 18, 2021 | Written by Lindsey Barta

While most people might not make a connection between bowling and the fight against childhood food insecurity, local senior Jeremy Boggs was not afraid to combine the two in order to make an impact. For his senior capstone project at Clark Montessori High School, Jeremy felt compelled to use his love for competitive bowling to accomplish something positive. He says, “I have been a competitive bowler for three years, and it is something I really enjoy. I wanted to take my passion for bowling and use it to give back to the community.”

Jeremy with Tony Fairhead, former Executive Director of Childhood Food Solutions and his teacher and Magnified Giving program facilitator Craig Rush, after their presentation at Cincinnati City Hall.

To do that, Jeremy arranged a bowling fundraising event to raise money for a local nonprofit. As the recipient of the funds, he chose a nonprofit he’d seen in action: Childhood Food Solutions. Through his participation in the Magnified Giving program during the 2019-2020 school year, Jeremy learned about the widespread impacts of childhood food insecurity in the Cincinnati region and discovered how Childhood Food Solutions is supporting students facing food insecurity. Jeremy was part of a group of students who became passionate about the issue after learning that 33% of families in Cincinnati are food insecure. Shocked by this figure and motivated to support those in need, Jeremy and his classmates advocated before Cincinnati City Council, urging them to do more to help children and families facing food insecurity. To demonstrate their own commitment to the issue, the students granted $2,000 to Childhood Food Solutions before city council-members, selecting the organization as the recipient of Magnified Giving funds because of their effectiveness in supporting local children who are food insecure.

The flyer for Jeremy’s bowling fundraiser at Stone Lanes.

With this experience in mind, Jeremy decided to use his senior capstone project to continue his commitment to help fight childhood food insecurity. He determined that he could develop a fundraising component and give the money to Childhood Food Solutions. Arranging the fundraiser took some creativity. He says, “It was difficult to find a safe way to do [the fundraiser] with COVID-19. I finally decided on a fundraiser that was live-streamed and donors could pledge either a fixed amount or a certain amount for every pin my team knocked over.”

Jeremy worked with Stone Lanes in Norwood, and they agreed to host the fundraiser at their venue. Enlisting the help of his friends, Jeremy developed a team to participate in the competition. They live-streamed his bowling event and ultimately raised $330 from generous donors.

Reflecting on the experience, Jeremy says, “This experience was meaningful to me because it was an idea that I had and turned into a successful reality. It was a way that I could combine my passion for bowling with a way to give back to the community.” 

Jeremy presenting a check for $330 to new Executive Director of Childhood Food Solutions, Jen Kramer-Wine, after his successful fundraiser.

When asked how Magnified Giving has shaped his life, Jeremy shared that the experience helped him refine his own life purpose. He says, “Ever since I was young I wanted to be a doctor, but I was never sure why, I just always knew it was what I wanted to be. I worked with Magnified Giving last year and it helped me learn that I have a passion for helping and giving back to the world. After that project, I understood why I wanted to be a doctor, it was to help and heal people. It was through the work with Magnified Giving that I found this passion for bettering the world.”

Thanks to his time in Magnified Giving, Jeremy is knowledgeable about the needs in his community and mindful that everyone can use their interests and gifts, bowling included, to serve others and make a positive impact. The mission of Magnified Giving is to empower young people to be lifelong philanthropists, and this young man is off to a great start.