Money to spare for scholarships

From left, Jim Goldammer chats with Debbie Strope and Linda Heckman at what was billed as the final fundraiser for the Jim Goldammer Scholarship on Sunday at Capital Bowl. Jefferson City Public Schools staff members started a bowling league in 1989, and have been raising money for the scholarship since 1993. Each year, they have given a $1,000 scholarship to a Jefferson City High School senior, based on need and achievement. They named the scholarship after Goldammer, the former owner of the bowling alley. Among other things, Goldammer let students bowl for free as part of their physical education classes.
From left, Jim Goldammer chats with Debbie Strope and Linda Heckman at what was billed as the final fundraiser for the Jim Goldammer Scholarship on Sunday at Capital Bowl. Jefferson City Public Schools staff members started a bowling league in 1989, and have been raising money for the scholarship since 1993. Each year, they have given a $1,000 scholarship to a Jefferson City High School senior, based on need and achievement. They named the scholarship after Goldammer, the former owner of the bowling alley. Among other things, Goldammer let students bowl for free as part of their physical education classes.

 

Sunday's final fundraiser for the Jim Goldammer Scholarship at Capital Bowl was like a Who's Who among past Jefferson City Public Schools employees.

Former coaches including Pete Adkins and Ron Cole (football) and Lisa Dey (softball) bowled alongside former administrators such as superintendent Chris Straub and JCHS principal Richard Pemberton. One retiree, Shirley Eichelberger-Blake, made the five-hour drive from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to bowl with her former colleagues in the JCHS Math Department.

"How can you pass up an opportunity to hang out with this rowdy crowd?" she said with a smile.

The bowlers raised money to provide one more $1,000 scholarship to a Jefferson City High School (JCHS) senior, organizer Linda Ringo said.

Ringo was with the original group of staffers who started a bowling league in 1989 as a way for the employees to bond with each other and give them something do to in the late part of the winter each year. Four years later, Ringo and the JCHS PE Department wanted to do something to honor Goldammer for everything he did for the schools. Among other things, he allowed students to bowl for free in their PE classes.

So they established the $1,000 scholarship in his name in 1993. They raised money for the scholarship by having 50/50 raffles at their bowling events, said Karla Denny, another organizer.

They continued the fundraiser every year until two or three years ago, she said, after many of the old-timers retired. The younger faculty/staff members don't have the time to bowl, and haven't joined the league, she said.

Goldammer attended the Sunday event, but didn't have time to bowl either. He was too busy chatting with all the people at his former bowling alley, previously known as Westgate Lanes.

"It's wonderful," he said. "They've done it for (more than) 20 years. It's just a great feeling. It make me feel good for what I've done for the school system."

Every year, he said, he has had the opportunity to get his photo taken with the annual scholarship recipient. He said they always send him 'thank-you' letters.

Taylor Dey, last year's scholarship winner, was there to cheer on her mother, Lisa, who retired as the JCHS softball coach after 21 years and more than 400 wins.

Taylor Dey, a freshman at the University of Missouri-Columbia studying business and nursing, said that between some unfunded tuition costs and the cost to replace an old car, her parents were facing a $4,000 bill. But several scholarships, including the Goldammer scholarship, reduced that to $2,000.

"The money really helped me relieve the burden," she said, later adding: "I just want to thank Jim (Goldammer)."