Celebrities support The K.I.S. Foundation, Inc. 11th Annual Celebrity Bowling Challenge

LOS ANGELES - Oct. 3, 2014 - PRLog -- Stars showed up in great numbers this past Saturday to bowl for a worthy cause- Sickle Cell Awareness. Hosted by Actress/Host KiKi Shepard, the K.I.S. Foundation, Inc. 11th Annual Celebrity Bowling Challenge along with a great mix of actors, comedians, athletes, musicians and more bowled with hopes of landing strikes to benefit the programs of the charity and the Dorothy H. Shepard Scholarship Fund which supports families living with SCD.

Held during National Sickle Cell Disease Awareness month, the annual event heighted the awareness through a social media campaign but more importantly the K.I.S. Foundation encouraged all attendees to sign the petition to support the Sickle Cell Treatment Re-authorization Act of 2014; a bipartisan legislation introduced to the House of Representatives to renew the nation’s programs for research, surveillance, prevention, and treatment of SCD for another 4 years.

“What an amazing event benefiting families living with SCD.  The majority of our guests, sponsors, and celebrity friends signed the SCTRA petition onsite which was one of our main priorities, says Founder KiKi Shepard. The support of the Celebrity Bowling Challenge is beyond belief and grows each & every year.”

Celebrities lending their support included: James Pickens Jr., Chandra Wilson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Dondre Whitfield, Dawnn Lewis, Tina Knowles, Richard Lawson, Rochelle Aytes, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Obba Babatunde’, Ray Chew, Tamala Jones, Alimi Ballard, Charles Malik Whitfield, Dorian Missick, Jackee’, Gabrielle Dennis, Bresha Webb, Dennis White, Marsai Martin, Arjay Smith, Earl Billings, Erica Gimpel, Shanica Knowles, Art Evans, Wesley Jonathan,  Denzel Whitaker, Paula Jai Parker, Mother Love and bringing home the trophy for the highest bowling score, Team Hall of Famers which includes R&B sensation Damion Hall from GUY.

Grey’s Anatomy James Pickens Jr. says …“being friends with KiKi for over 30 years, I see how passionate she is about Sickle Cell so I had to support her efforts.”

The event took place at PINZ Entertainment Center, 12655 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA on Saturday, September 27, 2014. Guests enjoyed a lively atmosphere of bowling, Red Carpet, silent auction items, open arcade, music by DJ Tailwind Turner (Dorian Missick) and a BBQ dinner generously sponsored by Bludso’s BBQ.

The event was also sponsored by: UPS, Wells Fargo, James Pickens Jr. Foundation, SermoonJoy, NCIS, Xerox, Donald and Betina Driver, Mercedes-Benz of Beverly Hills, Throttle Monster’s Inc., U.S. Bank, Bludso’s BBQ, Culturs Guru, Elgin Charles of Beverly Hills and SEIU.

For more information or to make a donation, visit: www.thekisfoundation.org or call 310.605.5472

About KiKi Shepard

KiKi Shepard hails from Tyler, Texas....the "Rose Capital of the World", is a graduate of Howard University, and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is a versatile performer who loves entertaining, whether on film, television, or the stage. Best known as the "Queen of Fashion", for 15 years, millions of viewers tuned in weekly to "see what she will wear", as she showed off the season's latest designs in haute-couture as the smashing co-host of the original "It's Showtime at the Apollo"- TV's hottest late-nite variety show.

About the K.I.S. Foundation, Inc.

The K.I.S. Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to inform and educate the public and raise awareness about Sickle Cell Disease through community outreach programs and educational scholarships. We also financially support the efforts of research institutions to find a universal cure. The mission of KiKi's "Celebrity Bowling Challenge" is to raise awareness about Sickle Cell Disease - an inherited, non-contagious blood disease that can be crippling, painful and life threatening. Visit www.thekisfoundation.org

About Sickle Cell Treatment Reauthorization, H.R. 5124

The SCTRA is a bipartisan legislation introduced to the House of Representatives to renew the nation’s programs for research, surveillance, prevention, and treatment of SCD for another 4 years.  Without reauthorization, funding for federal sickle cell programs will continue to significantly decrease.  It is imperative that Congress support and pass this legislation. Sign petition by Oct. 22nd: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/declare-sickle-cell-disease-national-health-priority-and-support-legislation-expand-and-establish/jFgQrMJ7