In hot conditions, Kilmore Bowls Club hosted its annual women’s tournament on Thursday attracting 56 bowlers.
Participants included four teams from Kingsbury, two from Seymour, Wallan, Heathcote, Broadford Trentham, Gisborne, Diggers Rest, Whittlesea and Yea.
The tournament began at 9.30am with three games of 10 ends.
Bendigo Bank sponsored the winning prize of $100 for each bowler, TJ Scott and Sons Funeral Directors sponsored the $50 per person runner-up prize, and Nutrien Harcourts sponsored the Best Last End prize of $20 each.
To help fill sides struggling with numbers, men participated in the tournament, however a woman had to be in third or skip position.
It was a great day for Seymour bowlers with Seymour One – Jan Wesselman, Linda Brown, Pat Dawe and Trish Green – winning the tournament and Seymour Two runner up.
Kingsbury One won Best Last End.
Organiser Lesly Hodgson said participants had a great day.
“The comradeship and the friendships they make is just amazing on these days,” she said.
“We have this every year so most of them are a lot of people who have come back for the second and third time.”
A raffle featured donated prizes such as a handmade blanket from Kilmore Bowls Club member Sandra Bloomfield, and other donated goods from sponsors including Kilmore Toyota, Bendigo Bank, Nutrien Harcourt, TJ Scott and Sons Funeral Directors, two Kilmore Chemists, gift shops and Repco.
Before beginning, the tournament bowlers also participated in the Spider event with bowlers rolling their balls to a large plush spider before going to the end of the rink and playing a ditch to ditch with the closest winning a box of chocolates.
“They’re the sort of activities we have to try and make it an enjoyable day for everyone,” Ms Hodgson said.
“A lot of them will tell you they don’t come to win they just come to enjoy themselves which is fantastic.”
Ms Hodgson said she wanted to thank volunteers from the Kilmore Bowls Club who helped with the event.
“I want to give a big thank you to all the helpers. The people like Alan who worked on the green with his team, the girls in the kitchen and the bar. I’ve also got two volunteers out there doing the scoring and I myself do the umpiring,” she said.
“We all have little jobs but together we works well as a team.”
