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| The PBA's Sean Rash, spending quality time with Wyoming teen, Benjamin Doyle (Photo courtesy PBA LLC) |
The 2012 USBC Masters event of the Professional Bowlers Association was not only the watering hole for bowling's premier competitors in search of a major title, but it also was the host site for one of the commendable goodwill efforts for the tour, as Sean Rash fulfilled the “wish” of 16-year-old Benjamin Doyle through the "Make a Wish" Foundation. Doyle of Casper, Wyoming is an avid bowler and a cancer victim, and it's was his dream come true to receive a private bowling lesson from one of the sport's dominant players.
Rash met with Doyle, who is suffering from brain cancer, on Saturday, Jan. 28, at Strike Zone inside Sunset Station Hotel/Casino in Henderson, Nev., in response to a request from the Make A Wish Foundation. As part of the communing between the Make--a--Wish foundation and the PBA,Doyle and his family also were invited to attend the live ESPN coverage of the USBC Masters finals on Sunday, Jan. 29. as guests of the PBA and USBC.
Benjamin Doyle said he became a Sean Rash fan when Rash first joined the PBA Tour on a regular basis. But the 16-year-old Casper, Wyo., youth bowler never imagined he'd have the opportunity he ultimately received, when he met during the eventful weekend to bowl with Rash at Sunset Station in Las Vegas.
Doyle, spent more than an hour on the lanes with Rash as part of his bowling lesson.
"When (Rash) first came on tour, he became my favorite," Doyle said. "I love watching him. I want to be like him." Doyle, a 10th grader who carries a 208 average in his youth league, said Rash gave him some great tips about keeping good balance and working on his follow-through. Following his lesson, Doyle promptly threw six strikes in a row before leaving a solid 7 pin to end his streak.
"One thing athletes do great is give back," Rash said. "I enjoy opportunities like this. When I was young and asked pros for help, they were always willing.
"It's very touching to work with these kids, to see what they have to fight through. They battle through things that are life-threatening, but in reality, they're human beings just like you and me, and that's what matters most."
Rash previously befriended 10-year-old Danny McCarty of Las Vegas, a victim of "brittle bone disease," during the PBA World Series of Bowling.
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