In 2019, Special Olympics Ohio made lots of changes such ending Regional Bowling Tournament Qualifiers in favor of League Play that started in 2020. That means no more Regional Bowling Tournament Qualifiers, along with a separate Team Bowling Tournament in the Fall that held at Holiday Lanes and Bowlero Sawmill (formerly AMF Sawmill Lanes) both in Columbus. Some of the people at Special Olympics Ohio who made the unnecessary changes in 2019 are no longer with the organization, except for CEO Jessica Stewart and a few others. They thought that League Play would be better instead of qualifying tournaments. That was a huge blunder and mistake on Special Olympics Ohio's part. Then the COVID-19 Pandemic hit in 2020, where everything got shut down. The State Summer Games was cancelled in 2020, and 2021 was "Reimagined" with different Special Olympics Ohio organizations hosting different competitions around the State of Ohio. It was very nice to have the State Summer Games for Special Olympics Ohio back in 2022. I won a Gold Medal in Bowling with scores of 172 and 121 at AMF Sawmill Lanes in Columbus. The Gold Medal happened with lots of practice on my own and I do not bowl in a League because of the cost and time which I do not have, but would rather have qualified at a Regional Bowling Tournament instead of League Play. Regional Bowling Tournament Qualifiers are the Best and Only way to decide who are the best bowlers in their region that would get to go to the State Summer Games for Special Olympics Ohio. I am asking Special Olympics Ohio to Reinstate Regional Bowling Tournament Qualifiers around the 4 regions in the state of Ohio. 

There are reasons to have tournament qualifiers. For example; is the comradery of the athletes competing with seeing old friends and making new ones as well along with building lifetime friendships, and the host Bowling Centers in their region can make extra money from tournament qualifiers. 

The Team/Unified Bowling Tournaments need and should be returned to the Special Olympics Ohio program in the Fall. However; if that cannot happen, HP Lanes and Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl (WWCB) or Holiday Lanes would be the perfect places to have the State Summer Games for Special Olympics Ohio. HP, WWCB, or Holiday can have the Individual/Team/Unified events at the same time during 3-day period during the State Summer Games because of the 48-50 lane capacity and plenty of room to spread out; and the coaches, families, friends, and volunteers could watch it without trouble unlike at Bowlero Sawmill (formerly AMF Sawmill Lanes) (52 lanes) because it feels cramped there. The proprietor of HP Lanes spent over millions of dollars renovating the center to make more accessible for people with disabilities like having zero steps with everything on one level especially to accommodate wheelchair and other disability equipment. Holiday Lanes was one of 2 facilities to host the Team Bowling Tournament for years. Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl was purchase PBA Hall of Famer Wayne Webb and his wife Elaine years ago, and have renovated the former Rainbow Lanes into what it is today. The Regional Team/Unified Bowling Tournament Qualifiers would be in place too.

The 2025 State Summer Games is moving from Bowlero Sawmill (formerly AMF Sawmill Lanes) to the Columbus Square Bowling Palace because of the more room and the largest lanes in Central Ohio with 64 lanes. 

The changes that Special Olympics Ohio made in 2019 with getting rid of Regional Bowling Tournament Qualifiers in favor of League Play was wrong decision that the organization made along with moving the State Swim Meet from its longtime home of Columbus at The Ohio State University McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion to be held at Bowling Green State University Cooper Pool in Bowling Green to create the State Indoor Winter Games with Basketball, Swimming, and Competitive Cheerleading. I declared victory on "Returning the State Swim Meet for Special Olympics Ohio back to Columbus, Ohio"  when the State Indoor Winter Games came back to Columbus in 2025. However, the State Swim Meet should still be a separate event to be held in early to mid December, or early-mid-late March (not to conflict with Easter and Passover) When Special Olympics Ohio made the unnecessary changes in 2019 that uprooted the fabric of the athletes, coaches, families, volunteers, and unified partners when Special Olympics Ohio made too many changes at once, instead of doing it at a much slower pace and hopefully the organization with newer people are making some progress. 

The reason for this petition is get Special Olympics Ohio to Reinstate Regional Bowling Tournament Qualifiers around the 4 regions of the state because tournament qualifiers are still the Best & Only Way to decide who are the best bowlers in their region and who gets to go to the State Summer Games in Columbus and State Team/Unified Bowling Tournaments in Columbus during the Fall.  I appreciate you signing and the support in getting Regional Bowling Tournament Qualifiers for Special Olympics Ohio reinstated.