Thursday, May 14, 2009

NFL Great Lynn Swann to join Bowling
Hall of Fame Celebrities Exhibit

Former National Football League All-Pro, Super Bowl MVP and Hall of Fame wide receiver Lynn Swann has earned many accolades throughout his career; however, it's his enthusiasm for bowling that has made him a recognizable and supportive force and an ambassador for the sport. In honor of years of support and involvement in the bowling industry, The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame announced today that Swann will be the third inductee into the Bowling Hall of Fame Celebrities Exhibit and the first to be inducted into the brand new museum, which will be completed in early 2010.
The induction celebration will take place June 24 as part of the general-session festivities at International Bowl Expo 2009, which will be held at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Convention Center, June 20-26.
"Bowling is a great activity for people of all ages, and I'm so proud and honored to have helped to play a small part in helping to drive the resurgence of this great American pastime," said Swann. "The more than 67 million people who bowl every year are a testament to the sport's tremendous popularity. Bowling is a true part of Americana, and I'm humbled to have a place in the Bowling Hall of Fame."
A prominent advocate for the sport of bowling, Swann has hosted the NFL Super Bowl Celebrity Bowling Classic for the past three years and served as the lane-side reporter during the 2008 CBS broadcast of Bowling's Clash of Champions, which marked bowling's first return to network television since 1999.
"Lynn has a true passion for the sport of bowling and has been an incredible friend to the industry for many years; we're proud and honored to welcome him as the newest addition to the Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame and the first inductee to the Bowling Hall of Fame's new location within the International Bowling Campus in Arlington," said Jim Sturm, Bowling Proprietors' Association of America President and United States Bowling Congress Director.
In late 2007, it was announced the Bowling Hall of Fame would relocate from St. Louis to become part of the newly formed International Bowling Campus in Arlington, Texas. The campus also includes the headquarters for the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America, the United States Bowling Congress and the International Training and Research Center.
Swann will be recognized in the Celebrities exhibit at the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, joining former NFL great and fellow Steeler Jerome Bettis as well as famed major league baseball pitcher and radio analyst Tom Candiotti.
"We are thrilled to recognize this champion for our sport. Lynn is an extraordinary exemplar of how involvement in sports can parlay into even greater achievements," said Patrick Ciniello, President/Chaiman of the Board of the Hall. "As a celebrity bowler inductee, Lynn continues to generate positive awareness for the sport and continues to inspire bowlers everywhere."
The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame has served the international bowling community for more than two decades by collecting and preserving its history and making information available worldwide to help promote the sport. The new facility is being constructed at the International Bowling Campus, 621 Six Flags Drive in Arlington, Texas.

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