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Feather boas were twirled. Strikes and spares were hurled.

A glimmering tiara was crowned. Steel-reinforced wrist supports were strapped to chiseled forearms.

Bowl for the Cure found a mob of supporters among Juneau's female bowling community for its second annual team tournament at the Juneau Bowling Center Tuesday. In turn, all 70 of this year's bowlers leant their strong and varied personalities to make their fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation one of a kind.

Longtime Juneau league participant and JBC local Rosie Thibodeau brought her birthday party - boa, tiara and dancing included - to this year's event. The loss of a friend to breast cancer led Thibodeau to the tournament in 2007, but it was "having fun in pink with the women" that made rolling again this year a must - birthday or not.

"It's important that all of us come down here and help raise money to support this cause," Thibodeau said, twirling her boa around her shoulders. "But I would have worn this anyway."

Another JBC local, Ruth Carter, helped the event's message hit home as she spoke about her experience as a breast cancer survivor. Carter said she can no longer bowl three times each week like she had for the last 20 years. She now hits the lanes only once every seven days. Just sharing an evening of 10 solid frames with her friends is a victory, though, after doctors gave her six months to live back in 2004.

"I can come out here and keep on proving those doctors wrong, and that's just so much fun," Carter said. "We all know family or friends who have died from breast cancer, and every person is one too many."

Carter joined her usual five-person bowling crew on the "Forget Me Not" team. Other standout group names included the "Nacho Mamas" and "Boobs Gone Wild".

Event organizer Leslie Dumont credited an epiphany for helping her start Juneau's version of the tournament, which multiplies each year on lanes across the country. A few years ago, Dumont lost one of her friends to breast cancer and another afflicted friend was running in a San Diego race to help raise money for the cause. Pondering the link between increased research funding, more numerous treatment options and quickly multiplying diagnoses, the avid bowler found a simple way to help.

"I said to myself; if money's what they need, then we better go get some," a teary-eyed Dumont explained to Tuesday's evening crowd. "Every one of us knows somebody who was lost to (breast cancer), is fighting it or will be diagnosed with it. This is a way we can all try to help out."

Dumont only advertises the tournament on the JBC bulletin board, but this year's turnout of 70 teams is already a major growth from 50 last season. Each squad donate $100 to participate, with a portion of the proceeds covering costs and prizes. The rest is donated to the Komen Foundation.

Delaying this year's event even allowed a group of bowlers from Ketchikan to do their part while they got in the competitive games needed to qualify for state and national tournaments. A dozen women and two men made the trip to Juneau, a necessary journey after their own bowling center closed last year.

"I've been bowling for about 34 years now - wow, that went fast," Shirley Paulsen, one of the Ketchikan group said. "We needed the (Veteran's Day) holiday to be able to travel down, and luckily things got switched around so we made it for this. I've been to the state tournament for the last 16 years and this is probably the best way to qualify."