Keller hosts charity bowling event
Dustin Keller reacts to a play against the Ravens last week. Credit: Getty Images
Several Jets were on hand Monday night at Chelsea Piers for Dustin Keller's Charity Bowl, including Sione Pouha, Shonn Greene, Brandon Moore, Brian Thomas, Patrick Turner, Scotty McKnight and DaMarcus Ganaway.
Keller set his fundraising goal at $150,000 and said the proceeds will be split among his foundation, the Chelsea Piers Scholarship Fund and PlaySmart -- all of which seek to provide athletic and academic opportunities to underprivileged children.
"The lottery schools, the ones that are doing it the right way, we wanted to get more involved with that," Keller said, referencing charter schools like Harlem Village Academies. "So this is our big event for the year. It's our big money maker."
Keller said he plans to host a few sports camps after the season, with the help of baseball and basketball players.
"It'll just get bigger and bigger that way," said the Jets tight end, who hosted a driving-range event in 2010 and a bowling event last year at Chelsea Piers.
"This year, we sold out all the lanes. There were some individual tickets thrown in there, but we have a good enough following now that we can just sellout the whole entire thing through lanes. So it's just gotten bigger over the last couple of years."
According to the event program, the money raised will go to several areas of need, including grants to summer camps and after-school athletic programs, football clinics for deserving athletes and equipment for athletic teams in under-served communities.
Keller, who described himself as a "solid" bowler, said Michael Jordan, Joe Namath Earvin "Magic" Johnson memorabilia was up for grabs at the event. Fans also had the chance to bid on tickets and VIP passes to the Jets Thanksgiving Day game against the Patriots, a training camp package for a family of four, tickets to the 2012 World Series and tickets (including hotel accomodations and airfare) to the Jets game vs. Jacksonville.
