Good times roll in 10th annual Otto Bowl benefit in Spokane Valley

The Otto Bowl’s 80 entries sold out well in advance, but all bowlers, bowling fans and pleasure seekers are welcome to kibbutz with the jostling crowd and join the revelers for a toast to Otto.

The 10th annual event Saturday at Valley Bowl is a benefit for the Jarvis Memorial Scholarship Fund.

“Every year we try to beat the last one,” event organizer Marylin Young said. “Last year we raised $1,200.”

Jim “Otto” Hanson and Mike Jarvis, lifelong friends, went through a junior bowling program together. When Jarvis, a public school teacher, died in the mid-1980s, his family founded the scholarship to support higher education for local bowlers. Hanson served on the selection board until he died in 2008.

Otto’s son, Mike Hanson, replaced him on the selection board. “My dad was a major part of that scholarship,” he said. “So we decided, ‘Why don’t we raise money for the scholarship fund?’”

Young designed the tournament with Otto’s social nature in mind. For example, half of each foursome migrates a lane to the right after each game. The mingling effect turns the alley into a social melting pot.

“It’s full every year, with people waiting to get in to bowl,” Young said. “It’s unbelievable.”

Said Otto’s wife, Sandy Hanson: “He was all about family. That’s what the tournament is all about: getting the family together and having a good time, and donating to a good cause.”

Young came up with several ways to cash in each game, giving all skill levels a chance to win.

“We have what’s called ‘post one in the ninth’ because that was a saying of Otto’s,” she said. “Every game, as long as they post a strike in the ninth frame, they are still in the pot.”

The scholarship, administered by the Spokane County branch of the U.S. Bowling Congress, awards a $1,000 scholarship to one male and one female bowler each year.

“It’s not just bowling,” said Sandy Hanson. “It’s what they do for the community.”

Perhaps the most important event of the day is the Otto Toast. Between the third and fourth games, everyone stops to raise a glass in honor of Otto. Otto’s daughter, Cheryl Gould, usually leads the toast, giving a short speech.

“One year she did a Top 10 list, top 10 reasons to love Otto,” Young said, laughing. “It’s always very enjoyable.”

Participant check-in is 11 a.m.; the lanes will open for practice at 11:45. The tournament will commence at noon.

“One of Otto’s favorite sayings was ‘nothing beats a full bowling center on a Saturday afternoon,’” Young said. “For the last 10 years, that’s what we’ve had.”