Aleta Sill’s Bowling World Strikes a Win for Needy Animals

Unassuming Aleta Sill, legendary hall-of-fame bowler and demure co-owner of in Farmington Hills, is a dynamite performer when she hoists a bowling ball. And, she is an equally successful community volunteer when it comes to another love in her life: animals. 

In fact, there is no bowler quite like 48-year-old Sill — and her partner, 46-year-old United States Bowling Congress gold-bowling coach Michelle Mullen — when it comes to ramping up the support for local homeless animals.

In just five years, they’ve raised $62,000. And they plan to keep rolling.

Fresh on the heels of taking yet another national title as Scratch Doubles Champion with partner Michelle Feldman, of Auburn, NY at the 2011 USBC Women’s Championships in Syracuse, NY, Sill is already aiming for her next project. With a sterling athletic reputation and drive to share that with other aspiring sports stars, Bowling World is a fitting gathering place. And it has also assumed the role of holding area to supplement the Sill/Mullen cause for furry friends.

Their 6th Annual Bowl-4-Animal Rescue fundraiser, benefitting the Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter and Michigan Animal Adoption Network (MAAN), is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Aug. 6. It will take place at , home to the pro shop, at 30250 W. Nine Mile Rd. in Farmington Hills.

But the ongoing hope is to help year-round, says Sill.

“We have a deep love for animals in need, and just have a passion for this,” she said. “We admire the work that MAAN does every day — all those street rescues that need food or straw for abandoned or neglected animals — so we split fundraising profits between the two causes.”

A recent case in point for collecting supplies centered on a heartbroken Farmington family who lost their own family pet and dropped off its leftover food and other pet items at Bowling World. The public is becoming aware that pet goods are gladly collected there, then taken where needed.

“We have the annual fundraiser, but we developed the pledge sheet at our website, too, so donors can help us pump up the dollar amount for that event as well as donate year-round,” said Sill. “It’s no problem at all for us to serve as a collection center, and we love helping where we can.”

A full third of their donations are also derived through the online pledge sheets.

With a business in Farmington Hills and residency in Livonia, both women were urged to help Dearborn by their veterinarian, who services their own collective menagerie of four dogs and four cats. The recent public attention to animal hoarding in Dearborn and subsequent burden on the shelter to help has brought forth sympathizers from all areas of greater Detroit.

When the animal fundraiser began in 2006, it garnered national media coverage. Some of that spotlight has diminished, but the money raised has more than tripled in five years.

“Our goal is helping the animals find Forever Homes, and our motto is: Don’t Shop — Adopt,” Sill said. “The idea of puppy or kitten mills to sell pets is brutal, especially with so many animals needing homes already. We are also proponents of neutering to try and control the abundance of homeless animals, and try to help the ones that need it.”

Sometimes that means being called on to help people who are relocating and can’t take their pets with them. That’s how Sill added Princess, a 12-year-old husky mix from a moving family. Luckily, the dog assimilated well with her other pets, although is now blind with diabetes and receives daily injections.

Princess was coached into a happy survival — by the very women who have additionally coached award-winning bowlers through their Your Bowling Coach branch of the business. Sill and Mullen have shared some impressive bowling accomplishments.

Sill is the first woman to ever earn $1 million in her sport, although that took 19 years to achieve and a lot of ups and downs, she acknowledges. In 21 years of competing, she’s taken 32 tournament titles; is a member of seven halls of fame — including the 110th inductee into the National-American Polish Sports Hall of Fame; rolled 31 perfect games of 300; had nine series of 800 or more (815 remains her highest); was named Woman Bowler of the Year twice; and is the only bowler — male or female — to take Bowling’s Triple Crown twice, winning the WIBC Queens, Sam’s Town Invitational and the U.S. Open to do that.

Her expertise is among the state’s best, continually earning the praise and admiration of sportswriters and bowling hierarchy. She repeatedly was named as part of the elite Detroit native Dream Sports Team that includes hockey great Gordie Howe, fighter extraordinaire Joe Louis and accomplished golfer (and alumna) Meg Mallon, and is a USBC certified silver coach.

Mullen, a standout high school and collegiate performer and champion, also won a record-setting nine Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Regional titles, and was a PWBA National Champion, as well as coached Team USA in Korea. She has 21 perfect 300 games; sports a high series of 825; and is believed to be the only bowler to have won a bowling championship at every level, coached at every level and wrote a best-selling book — it was titled “Bowling Fundamentals.” She was also chosen the Midwest Region Player of the Decade for the 1990s. Her gold USBC coach status puts her among an elite 30 with the same standing worldwide, and only one of 10 female ones.

The fundraiser will also feature some of today’s top female bowlers, who traditionally support Sill and Mullen’s efforts. Food is supplied by Red Robin and Domino’s Pizza, and Sill says the raffle prizes are renowned themselves and include some from her pro shop. Attendees can bowl or just be part of the festivities, and special four-legged guests from the shelter will also be present.

"Animals give so much and expect nothing in return,” Sill said. “We’ll make sure they do benefit each year, and if I ever win the lottery, I will use that to work even harder for them.”

For more information, visit yourbowlingcoach.com , or facebook.com/aletasillsbowlingworld, or call Aleta Sill’s Bowling World at: 248-615-9060.