Bowling for the Battle - The Hormel Instiute

Another record-breaking year from the community for

 The Hormel Institute’s prostate cancer research fundraiser

The ever-growing “Bowling for the Battle – A Fight Against Prostate Cancer ” group raised a record $76,260 for innovative prostate cancer research at The Hormel Institute during its 2019 event. This was the fifth annual bowling tournament fundraiser with a silent and live auction, and each year the community shows up to raise ever-increasing funds for cancer research. This year’s event took place on Saturday, March 2 at Echo Lanes.

“It is an incredible feeling to bring all these people together to raise funds for prostate cancer research,” shares Laura Maschka, one of the organizers of Bowling for the Battle. “Prostate cancer research is important to our family, and to see our hard work turn into actual research is amazing.”

This year’s total was boosted by Reichel Foods and gifts donated through Google Giving Week, an annual opportunity for Google employees to donate to their favorite nonprofits and receive extra matching funds to boost their gift. The Hormel Institute UMN was nominated to be one of six nonprofits from the USA to actually be on-site at Google for the event, thanks to Tom and Doreen Gillard’s son Dustin Gillard, who works at Google in San Francisco’s Silicon Valley area.

Laura and Jason (Moose) Maschka organized the event with Tom and Doreen Gillard and Pat and Dawn Andreas. This group of family and friends works all year to gather auction items, find sponsors, and coordinate bowlers.

The success of Bowling for the Battle has funded two prostate cancer seed grants at The Hormel Institute, given out last summer. Dr. Yibin Deng and Dr. Rendong Yang were each awarded a seed grant to research innovative ideas to prevent or better control prostate cancer. These grants are supporting research that wouldn’t otherwise be possible and could lead to large national grants and new breakthroughs.

Dr. Deng confirmed, “This event allows us to research new ideas and move forward toward new answers. It is very exciting and Bowling for the Battle makes it possible”

If you are interested in supporting Bowling for the Battle, next year’s event is already scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2020. Contact Laura Maschka at 507-433-5006 or laura.tgillard@farmersagency.com to donate or become a sponsor.