The Special Olympics athlete oath reads, "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

But perhaps "let me have fun in the attempt" would have been more appropriate at the Special Olympics Bowl-a-thon fund-raiser on Sunday.

The eighth year of the Bowl-a-thon at Northland Bowl, 1521 Martin St., presented opportunities for Special Olympics athletes, Penn State volunteers and proud parents to come together in the name of a good cause: raising money for the 244 athletes of the Centre County Special Olympics.

Amid the music of Good Charlotte and the turkey dances, the athletes knew the goal for which they were working.

When asked what he gets from it, athlete and Special Olympics Global Messenger Matt Prosek said with a smile and no hesitation, "Money."

Each Special Olympian and student volunteer who participated had to collect a minimum of $35 in pledges. Some went even further than that: athlete Dave Thompson raised more than $500.

It's little stories such as this that bring a smile to the face of Betty Bechtel, the manager for Centre County Special Olympics.

"I want to give the athletes a sense of success," she said. "They become the success [of the event] by collecting pledges and participating."

As for his part, Prosek said, "I kind of try to let everyone have fun."

In addition to the athletes themselves, student organizations such as the Special Olympics Club, Blue and White Society and several sororities came out to bowl a strike or two for charity.

Their contributions pleased Bechtel.

"I would hope they have a sense of accomplishment," she said, "because they have accomplished a tremendous amount."

She also said volunteers have become the "life blood" of the Special Olympics organization and the Bowl-a-thon.

In the end, it came down to bowling and the spirit of friendly competition between the athletes. The fun began when Jim Wasson rolled the first strike of the afternoon and did a victory dance in celebration as his mother, Jeanne, took in the action from the back.

Things got even better when the some of the sillier events began. Athletes challenged volunteers to blindfolded bowling, with the winner receiving a prize. Some tried their luck at beating the manager in a frame.

The event included surprise guests as well. The Penn State cheerleaders visited and handed out posters, and a showdown took place between the "Northland Pro" Eric "Pee Wee" Johnson and Greg Focht, a Special Olympian who now bowls in a league.

"Pooh Bear," as Focht is affectionately called, secured a $20 donation to the Special Olympics with a 231-176 victory.

Even after awarding the last prize, the athletes' work was nowhere near done. The money earned will fund a trip to the Special Olympics Fall Festival this weekend at Villanova University.

Prosek's mother, Cathy Prosek, who also serves as the competition coordinator, put the Bowl-a-thon and future events in perspective.

"[These events] let the athletes succeed on their own terms ... and give them more of a social venue," she said.