Bowling Against Bullying was an accident – the first time.
In 2017, Shaun Mudd, a deputy at the Kosciusko County Sheriff Office, discovered that a particular student was being bullied at a local school. He was touched by the student’s story and wanted to do something special for him and other bullied students. “It was supposed to be a one-time thing,” Shaun remembers. He and a friend gathered door prizes and paid for food and lanes at The Bowling Alley in Warsaw. The event was a resounding success. “Now it’s an annual event that has turned into a non-profit, thanks in part to Lisa Harman and Live Well Kosciusko,” Shaun said.
Bowling Against Bullying is largely supported by community members whose donations fund the event and buy prizes. An especially generous gift from a local business made it possible to take
Bowling Against Bullying a step further. In 2023, Shaun established the Bowling Against Bullying Rise Up! Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation. It is specifically for students who
overcame bullying in high school.
“My hope for this fund is that it shows kids that they can rise above being bullied,” Shaun said. “I hope that someday, they won’t say, ‘I’m here because of a scholarship.’ I would like them to say, ‘I’m here because I did not stop.’”
Shaun was born and raised in Kosciusko County. Although they were not wealthy, the Mudd family sought to be “doers,” Shaun explained. “My parents were always doing something for someone that needed help – not through their words but through their actions,” he said. They passed that legacy on to their children, all of whom (including Shaun) choose to work in the service industry.
When asked what message he would share with future generations, Shaun painted a word-picture: “Think of this. You see a person on the side of the road. You can tell they are weary so you pull over. Before you give them a bottle of water, do you ask about their political affiliations, religious beliefs, or the amount of money they have? This is how you should be in your daily life. Go out and love one another and care about each other.”
To give to the scholarship fund, visit kcfoundation.org/funds. Checks can be sent to 102 E Market St, Warsaw, IN 46580 with “Bowling Against Bullying Rise Up! Scholarship Fund” in the memo line.