By STEPHANIE BUNKER
Moapa Valley Progress
Moapa Parks and Recreation staff got creative when they organized the Turkey Bowling event this year. It has been a tradition, in years past. to play a game with a frozen turkey close to Thanksgiving time. The last 2 years they have done the Turkey Toss, where the kids see who can toss the turkey the farthest. But Gail Lindsey, Moapa Parks and Rec Activities Coordinator, thought a better option this year might be bowling with a frozen turkey.
“We found the stronger kids won easily in the Turkey Toss of the past,” Lindsey said. “But bowling evens the playing field.”
Thirty-five kids signed up beforehand. Lindsey placed them into 3 different age groups. Each child was directed to throw the turkey using the underhand tactic towards the pins.
Each pin was worth 1 point, except for 2 pins in the bunch dressed up as turkeys. The special turkey pins were worth 5 points. Twenty points were possible to earn with 2 tries. If the child were to bowl a spare they would get 5 extra points.
The winner of the competition was to receive a frozen turkey, 2nd place got cupcakes, and 3rd place won a pumpkin pie.
Thanksgiving games at Moapa Parks and Recreation are a popular event. There were 35 kids that signed up and many parents watching in the audience.
Gabe Leavitt won the competition in the 4th and 5th grade category. He got a spare earning him 25 points.
Gary Leavitt won first place in the 2nd and 3rd grade, winning himself a Thanksgiving turkey.
In the Kindergarten to 1st grade division there was an intense match-up. Eduardo Moreno and Cole Lindsey bowled to a tie with 19 points. So they had to bowl-off for 1st place. Moreno won the division with 17 points while Lindsey got only 16 points.
Tag Jensen and Chase Padleski also had a bowl off for 3rd and 4th place in the division. Jensen expertly bowled a strike getting 20 points and 3rd place. Padleski earned 12 points and got 4th place.