PHOTO: A-Day Bowls founder Diana Powell with 2024 Aaron Powell Memorial Sheild winners Brian King, Allan Albert and Flo King.
Every bowler went home a winner at Coonamble Bowling Club on Saturday 26 October, where the annual A-Day Bowls raised over $1300 for the Coonamble Cancer Survival Fund.
Bowlers and families from as far as Lightning Ridge, Dubbo, Moree and Sydney joined locals for a social day on the green remembering passed bowlers.
Fourteen teams of three took part, with enough donations from businesses, community organisations and family and friends of those passed to provide each player with prizes ranging from art prints to bags and deep fryers.
The tournament has been running for over 20 years.
“I used to get up to 28 teams and then they took the greens out, which halved the day,” A-Day founder Diana Powell said.
“So, it’s gone from that big, massive day to a little day, but the sponsors are still there.
“The sponsorships got bigger from what it first started as.”
Corey Murray, Graham Murray and Shannon Tighe won the first place Michael Baker memorial.
In second place for the Aaron Powell Memorial was Allan Albert, Brian King and Flo King
Rex Skuthorpe, Allan Tighe and Leo Hooper bowled themselves to the third place Wayne Powell Memorial prize while Bruce Ravot, Debbie Ravot and Adam Webb won the fourth place Eric Fernando Memorial.
The ninth place Henry (Puss) Robinson Memorial went to Bradley Fernando, Robert Smith and Roy Wallace.
Ninth place was chosen for his memorial as a nod to Puss and his late brothers Decky and Buck’s (Raymond) favourite race betting number.
Ms Powell said attendees enjoyed themselves on the green, and in the evening afterwards.
“We must have had 100 people at the bowling club just on the night, dancing and singing and karaoke,” she said.
“It means so much to those families that have lost their children to come back and remember them.”
Ms Powell also thanked Justine Powell and Joanne Lee for scorekeeping.