Jim O’Reilly of Wabasha, Minn.; Becky Jones of Lubbock, Texas, and John Burns of Odessa, Texas, were selected by the United States Bowling Congress Board of Directors to receive USBC National Recognition Awards.
O’Reilly is the Joyce Deitch Unity Award winner, Jones is this year’s recipient of the Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service and Burns has been selected as the USBC Proprietor of the Year.
Burns, 77, is the proprietor of Odessa’s Diamond Lanes, where he has been a fixture for two decades, first as a manager and then as the owner beginning in 2012. Formal competition there includes a variety of leagues and tournaments, and Burns has made sure to include a focus on providing opportunities for youth bowlers. He’s able to offer them a place to compete, helps provide or raise financial support and offers insight as a USBC Silver coach.
Within the local community, Diamond Lanes is a pillar and gathering point for events, parties, fundraisers and more. The facility has 40 lanes, and Burns estimates that it has been part of the Odessa community for more than 60 years, with a consistent and familiar slogan: “Where family fun begins.”
He will be honored next week at the USBC Convention in Las Vegas.
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