Rick Bowling was a pillar of the Pittsburgh physical therapy community. As the CEO of a large network of PT practices in the area, and a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, Rick served as a mentor and teacher to therapists throughout the area. When he was diagnosed with ALS in 2000, his family, employees, and community rallied around him, founding the Rick Bowling Golf Outing in 2001.
“Pittsburgh is a small area where the physical therapy community is very close knit,” says Patrick Garvey, a Regional Director at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Rehabilitation Institute. “Rick had been a teacher at the University of Pittsburgh, and he trained a lot of people over the years. So that first year, it was really to honor what he had created for a lot of people and what he meant to his family.”
In its earliest years, the golf tournament was a small, invitation-only gathering of Rick’s family and the physical therapy community. However, over the past 23 years, it has grown by leaps and bounds as the organizers opened registration to anyone who would like to participate, and word spread throughout the community. Soon, Patrick says, he went from knowing 100% of the people in attendance at the Rick Bowling Golf Outing, to only 30%-40% every year.
“I honestly have to give kudos to the people that have attended for spreading the word,” adds Jackie Becker, who works in the finance depart of the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute and had known Rick since 1989. “My brother started coming to the golf outing, and he belongs to a golf league, and now half the league comes every year. We have co-workers whose spouses love to golf, and now they bring groups. One of them, his father had ALS, and now he brings another foursome. So, some people have heard by word of mouth, and some people want to come because they have family members who have been affected.”
During the event’s first few years, the golf outing raised money to benefit a local ALS organization. However, as Rick’s condition progressed, his wife Joyce decided she wanted to support research for ALS treatments. After looking into different options, she decided all tournament proceeds would go to the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI). Since then, the Rick Bowling Golf Outing has raised over a half million dollars to support our essential research to find effective treatments for ALS. Sadly, Rick passed away in 2010, however, his family, friends, and employees have kept the outing going in honor of his memory and what he meant to his community.
Over the years, the tournament has taken place at several different courses, but its current home is the Longview Country Club in Pittsburgh. Golfers at this year’s event, taking place Monday, September 16th, can expect to be challenged by this nationally recognized course. There will also be a 50-50 auction featuring prizes donated by the Bowling Family and employees of the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute, along with a lunch and dinner for all participants. Participants can also buy mulligans during their games to keep their score down – and to raise even more money for ALS research.
Patrick says he believes it’s this simple formula – a day of golf on a great course with an enthusiastic community, that has kept the event going successfully for decades.
“We've got a good group of people who come, and they understand they're going to spend the day golfing and that they can bring extra money to donate to a great cause,” he says. “It's really worked out. We keep it simple, and we have a great formula.”
For more information and to attend this year’s Rick Bowling Golf Outing, email Jackie Becker at beckerj@upmc.edu.
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