Rod Rose, Assistant Managing Editor, Lebanon Reporter
LEBANON - Strikes or spares won't really matter to Gene Wethington when he begins bowling at 3pm, December 27th on a lane at the Lebanon Bowling Center. He'll be thinking 54 hours and 26 minutes: That's the world record for continuous bowling he'll be trying to break.
Wethington, 52, Lebanon, wants to raise money for the Junior Bowlers League and Boone County Special Olympics. He's looking for sponsors for his record- breaking attempt. "The more the merrier," he said.
Arc Rehab Services coordinates closely with the Special Olympics group here. Arc Rehab is a co-sponsor of Wethington's effort. Money from sponsorships will be divided equally between the two programs. Wethington bowls six nights a week. "I average anywhere from 180 to 190", he said. His best game was a 192 in 1986. He has been bowling since he was 8. "I laid out for about 10 years, then got back into it about five years ago," he said.
Special Olympics will use its share for new bowling balls and wheelchair ramps, said Tracy Autrey, assistant county coordinator of Boone County Special Olympics, "I'm collecting donations knowing that half is going to Special Olympics and half is going to the Lebanon Youth Bowling program," Autrey said.
Autrey bowls with Wethington's wife in a Friday night league at the Lebanon Bowling Center on Indianapolis Avenue. Wethington is in a men's league the same night, Autrey said.
Wethington bowls frequently - "You should ask how often I don't bowl," he said - and began helping one of the Special Olympic Bowlers, who quickly developed a friendship with Wethington. The Special Olympian "really looks up to him," Autrey said. "He comes out on Fridays just so he can watch Gene bowl. "There's an example of someone outside the Special Olympics program developing a friendship with someone inside the program," Autrey said. "I think that's really neat."
When the Wethington's came up with the fund-raising idea for Special Olympics, "We thought it was a great idea," Autrey said.
"I like bowling alot," Wethington said. "I've been watching a lot of the junior bowling programs and thought I'd try to help out as much as I could. His Record attempt will begin after the junior bowler leagues conclude their season. Interest in the program is at the highest level ever, Wethington said. The bowling center has 18 lanes, and all are full when the junior leagues compete." There's a lot of enthusiasm there," Wethington said. "I'm just trying to give them a little punch into it."
Bowling became Special Olympics sport in 1975, according to the Special Olympics web site. Bowling debuted at the Work games in 1987, when 33 athletes competed in Indianapolis. Anyone interested in contributing to Wethington's project may contact him at 765-491-4020, or the Lebanon Bowling Center, on Indianapolis Avenue at 765-482-3060.
Record-Setter Gene Wethington with Chris Shockley, right, and Tracy Autrey, Assistant Coordinator of Boone County Special Olympics on left.
Josh Duke, Indianapolis Star
LEBANON - This tiny town now has a place in the Guinness Book of Records. With both fists raised in the air, hundreds of family and friends cheering and a big hug from his wife, Gene Wethington bowled his way onto the book's pages Monday by topping the old record of 52 hours and 15 minutes of continuous bowling.
"It's a big relief," said Wethington as he briefly paused before extending his record. "This is a great community. They've been behind me 100 percent. You could ask for better people."
At the 52 hour- 16 minute mark, the moment Wethington broke the record in the Lebanon Bowling Center - he had logged 270 games and knocked down 31, 789 pins. His best game was a 225 which came early. His worst game came when the right-hander bowled entirely left-handed to log a 48. He didn't sleep and his fingers became too swollen for his ball. Folks donated lighter balls and drilled them with wider holes so he could keep going.
Wethington said getting through the mental aspect of the challenge was more difficult than the physical Wethington scheduled the event during his workplace's annual holiday shutdown. The bowling alley stayed open around the clock during the two-plus days for Wethington and anyone who wanted to join him.
"He's got heart," said bowling buddy Thaddeus Beaty. "This is great for the city and this bowling center because we are trying to get it built back up. I didn't think he could do it, but he proved everyone wrong".
Record-Holder Wethington raised $3,000 for junior bowlers and Boone County Special Olympics.