Seniors donate automated defibrillator to bowling alley

BY MATT CHARLES
Special to Register & Bee
Published: November 7, 2008

Bowlers packed Riverside Lanes on Thursday afternoon, and while participants of the Senior Bowing League wouldn’t dream of missing a single roll, they also felt safer thanks to a recent donation to the bowling alley.

League member Danny Allen recently spearheaded the group’s effort to donate an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to Riverside Lanes.

“The men and women here today absolutely love to bowl and, as you can see, we are all 50 years of age or older,” Allen smirked. “While the community benefits from this gift, us older folks really like having it around.”

Retired Dr. Peter Riat said the defibrillator will be a useful tool for the bowling alley.

“If a person goes into cardiac arrest, you basically have five minutes to address the situation to ensure a good chance of survival,” he said. “It takes no time to grab the AED off of the wall. Once you attach the sensors, the machine does all the work. It analyzes if a shock needs to be administered and continues to access the situation until paramedics arrive.”

The donation of the Powerheart G3 AED, now housed at Riverside Lanes, was a joint effort. The Senior Bowling League, Riverside Lanes and Romar MedEquip came together to contribute the device.

“I really appreciate Romar stepping up by supporting the league in this way,” League President Wayne Adkins said.

“That’s right,” Allen chimed in, “they gave us a $1,200 discount on this $3,100 piece of equipment and donated an additional $500 to the league.”

Debbie Roach, director of marketing and sales at Romar, said the company was “happy” to help the league purchase the defibrillator.

“We are always looking for an opportunity to partner and aid the community,” she said. “This is also a chance for us to show the public that Romar offers much more than items they typically associate with medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and oxygen tanks.

“The AED is a very important lifesaving tool that often goes overlooked until you desperately need it.”

Sam Farthing, manager of Riverside Lanes, said that the bowling alley also is glad to lend a helping hand.

“We added an additional charge of $1 per week to each Senior League member,” he said. “In return for the dues increase, we cut a check at the beginning of the season to Romar for the defibrillator.”

Adkins added, “We are making certain that members of the Senior Bowling League, as well as all other leagues and Riverside Lanes employees, are properly trained in the defibrillator’s operation. I can’t tell you how glad we are that the AED is present at the facility. Having it here adds a real sense of relief and comfort.”