Since the 1970s, Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA) has held an annual bowl-a-thon. The nonprofit serves San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties with the aim of reducing stigma around mental health and promoting recovery and wellness for people with mental illness.
“I think the idea was that it was unique,” TMHA Executive Director Jill Bolster-White said of the Strike Out Stigma! Bowl-A-Thon’s beginning. “It’s always fun to do something that’s different from others—it’s not a gala or a golf tournament.”
According to Bolster-White, a bowling team of five has to raise $600 through social media to participate. Every year, TMHA gets bowling groups from different law enforcement offices and civic organizations across SLO and Santa Barbara counties. Local businesses can also sponsor teams.
“It is a great way of just having fun, doing something maybe you don’t do that often,” she said.
The bowl-a-thon is now the primary fundraiser for the Central Coast Hotline, a free 24/7 confidential mental health guidance, crisis, and suicide prevention hotline. The fundraiser fills funding gaps for the hotline, according to Bolster-White. Other funding comes from grants, the San Luis Obispo County Behavioral Health Department, and from assisting the Lumina Alliance with their calls.
“It really is a very critical resource,” she said, noting that they work to “give people a chance to stop and think about what’s happening in their lives and what other options they have.”
The hotline was its own nonprofit agency until 2010, when TMHA became the new operator, according to Bolster-White and Community Engagement Director Michael Kaplan. They both believe it’s an important resource to be accessed locally beyond national resources such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—and testimonials TMHA’s received about the hotline illustrate its value.
“If this wasn’t available, I might not be here,” one testimonial said.
According to Kaplan, Must! Charities in Templeton recently gave TMHA about half a million dollars in funding to add a texting feature to the hotline, something he and Bolster-White saw as a breakthrough for the service.
“We didn’t feel like we were really a resource that younger people were relying on for the simple reason that a lot of them didn’t want to make a phone call,” he said. “Every month, we’re getting hundreds of text conversations along with our normal phone conversations.”
The bowl-a-thon is happening March 27 to 29 and April 3 to 4 at three venues: Pismo Bowl in Pismo Beach, Rancho Bowl in Santa Maria, and Mustang Lanes on Cal Poly’s campus.
Visit t-mha/events.php for the 2026 Strike Out Stigma! Bowl-A-Thon schedule and registration.
The Central Coast Hotline’s number is (800) 783-0607.
Highlights
• The Santa Maria-Bonita School District recently completed a library modernization project across all of its school campuses. Funded through Title I funds, upgrades included new shelving on some campuses, mobile shelving on all campuses, and new book displays, furniture, and books. Each site received roughly 300 new book titles, ensuring that students have access to fresh, relevant, and diverse reading materials, according to the district.
• The Lompoc Solid Waste and Urban Forestry divisions are hosting an Earth Day celebration on April 18 in the city’s Corporate Yard at 1300 W. Laurel Ave. In addition to plants, prizes, and opportunities to learn more about the city’s beautification commission, Lompoc residents will be able to pick up mulch, compost, and other materials for free from 10 a.m. to noon. Residents should bring their own containers and tools for collection, and households are limited to five containers.
• The American Ballet Theatre Studio Company will be performing at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande on March 15 for another tour season. The performance group is composed of 12 to 18 dancers ages 17 to 21 who blend classical and neoclassical masterpieces with contemporary works. Watch the passion and artistry onstage from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets range from $49 to $79. Visit clarkcenter.org/shows/abt-studio-company for more information and ticket purchases.
Reach Intern Fiona Hastings, from the Sun’s sister paper, at ntintern@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in March 12 – March 19, 2026.