Kings Bowl Franklin Hosts Smash Delanie Walker Charity Event

When it comes to charity, Delanie Walker always bowls a strike!

Kings Bowl in Franklin, Tennessee, recently played host to Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker as he welcomed 250 guests to the inaugural Titans Ten Pin Tailgate. The event was to benefit the Delanie Walker Gives Back Foundation, a charity committed to providing inner-city and low-income children with the educational opportunities and resources to reach their full potential and beat the odds. The event was spotlighted by WKRN-TV News 2, with video from their coverage Titans Ten Pin Tailgate available here and on the Titans official website here.

"Some of the kids I help, I grew up in a similar situation. I grew up in a single-parent household. I grew up in a neighborhood that's low class, you know," Walker told News 2. "I try to do as much as possible because I feel like I grew up in that situation and if these kids see what we do care and we're trying to help them, they'll do better."

Delanie Walker signing a custom ball for a fan. Delanie Walker signing a custom ball for a fan.

We are proud to report that Walker and friends raised over $80,000, all proceeds going directly to community outreach programs, such as Back to School COOL, Delanie Walker's Imagination Stations and Holiday Night Out. For a $75 registration fee, guests were treated to a night of delicious food, fun and socializing with Walker and several of his Titans teammates, including Brian Orakpo, Jurrell Casey, Ronald Patrick, Beau Brinkley, Tyler Marz, Anthony Fasano, Phil Supernaw and Quinton Spain. The event included an additional $200 level where superfans and charity supporters could get a commemorative T-shirt and a Tennessee Titans Signature Series football for celebrity autographs.

Think $80,000 seems like a lot of money? We do too! But that money isn't going towards renting a stadium and filling it with our delicious Baked Wings (believe me, we considered it). Instead, the money will be put towards:

• New books for 160 local classrooms.
• A brand new library for 32 schools.
• A college scholarship for 98 high school graduates.

The Kings Bowl Charity All-Stars!

The evening featured a cocktail reception, Celebrity Bowling Tournament, live and silent auctions sponsored by Freeman-Webb and live music by Morgans Road. Lunchbox, co-host of the nationally syndicated weekday country radio morning Bobby Bones Show, served as the evening's emcee. Auctions and appetizers were hosted in Kings Bowl's famous The Draft Room, where guests could order any number of local and national craft beers, served fresh and cold, before the teams rolled out onto the lanes for some spirited competition.

This ain't our first rodeo... err, pro football charity event either! Kings has for years played host to a number of successful NFL players' charity events in our various locations nationwide, including Jerod Mayo (formerly of the New England Patriots) and Charles Tillman (formerly of the Chicago Bears). At this point, we basically have an entire fantasy NFL team drafted on charity roster (too bad we aren't Kings SUPER Bowl).

Kings remains committed to promoting charitable works and serving the greater community. In every city we are located nationwide, we offer the "Kings Cares" program, supporting local non-profit organizations and giving back. Whether its hosting a charitable event or helping raise donations, Kings offers the perfect venue to combine great food, great fun and even greater charitable works.