Bakersfield’s Star Trek club, Nemesis Station, hosted its 10th annual charity bowlathon for the Jamison Children’s Center on Oct. 11 at AMF Southwest Lanes.
The event started with a speech by club president Daryl Curtis, who thanked sponsors and donators such as Logan’s Roadhouse Grill, California Living Museum and Enterprise Drilling Fluids. Russo’s Books and the East Hills Mall were noted for sponsoring Nemesis Station for 10 years.
The speech ended with the promise that “all proceeds will actually go to the Jamison children.”
As the children and Nemesis Station members bowled, there was music to fit the theme. Throughout the event, a CD collection of Star Trek soundtracks was played, as well as music from a Swedish Star Trek tribute band, S.P.O.C.K.
Gold, silver and bronze medals, engraved with “10th Annual Star Trek Bowlathon,” were presented to the 14 children based on their score. With their medal, they each received a $20 gift certificate for John’s Incredible Pizza Co.
Vanessa Soto, who has been working at the Jamison Center since May, accompanied the children this year.
“It’s really cool to do something for the center, and the kids have fun,” Soto said.
Nemesis Station members were sporting Star Trek shirts and Star Trek uniforms at the event. Curtis had a personalized bowling shirt with a logo of a dagger driven through a bowling ball, which was inspired by the episode “Mirror, Mirror” from the original Star Trek series in which the Terran Empire’s logo was a dagger piercing the earth.
Klingon insignias marked bowling ball bags and Nemesis Station’s founder, Linda Thuringer showed off her personalized bowling ball labeled “Romulinda,” a combination of the fictional alien species, Romulan, and her name Linda.
To raise money for the Jamison Center, there was a silent auction and raffle held during the bowlathon. The auction and raffle table was lined with Star Trek merchandise such as action figures (some autographed), novels, Star Trek history and behind the scenes books, Star Trek themed Uno, kites, calendars and mugs. Starting bids ranged from $5-7.
“These items were donated from some of the club’s personal collections,” said Curtis. “When club member Steve Menagh died, his family donated his collection to be sold with the proceeds going to charity.”
Nemesis Station partnered with the Jamison Center because Thuringer was a reserve deputy sheriff who placed children in the Jamison Center from troubled homes. According to Curtis, she saw the trauma the kids had to deal with and saw the need to help.
“The ideals of Star Trek tie in quite nicely. Star Trek is all about making a better future. We want to make a better future for the kids,” said Curtis.
Nemesis Station is a non-profit organization that has been supporting the Jamison Children’s Center for 10 years.
“Becoming a non-profit organization and getting tax exemption would allow us to compete with other non-profit organizations and do big projects,” said Curtis. “We passed the $30,000 mark. It’s a huge milestone for us this year.”
Nemesis Station fundraises and volunteers for the Jamison Center all year round and make sure the money goes directly to the Jamison’s children. According to Thuringer, “We know exactly where the money goes. If it goes to administration costs, it ruins the giving. I get so pissed off at charities that waste money on staff.”