Family Foundation · Est. 1985 · 501(c)(3)

A Family Legacy
of Community
and Excellence.

Rooted on Florida's West Coast since 1957, the Krauss Baschab Family Foundation gives back to the communities that built Sunshine Bowl, Seminole Lanes, and Sunrise Lanes.

Who we serve Get in touch

Interior of Seminole Lanes bowling center with wooden seating, bowling balls in racks, and the SEMINOLE LANES sign on the wall. — Seminole Lanes — where community happens.

Education Community Excellence

Our Mission

To improve our community workforce and encourage economic success through education, hard work, and the pursuit of excellence.

Krauss Baschab Family Foundation

Framed archival photograph of the Sunshine Bowl bowling center in Pinellas Park, Florida, with 1950s cars parked outside and its signature signage. — Sunshine Bowl — December 20, 1957.

Our Story

Three New Yorkers, one Florida dream.

Our family-owned bowling centers have operated since 1957 on the West Coast of Florida. Gilbert Baschab, Jerry Krauss (Gilbert's nephew), and Fred Hoyer (family friend) were New York natives with a dream to open their own business in Florida.

Jerry and Fred moved their young families to Pinellas Park and opened Sunshine Bowl — sixteen lanes and a full-size Bavarian restaurant — on December 20, 1957. Sunshine Bowl served the community until January 2005, when a fire destroyed the building.

Krauss and Hoyer added two more centers along the way: Seminole Lanes in 1976, and Sunrise Lanes — formerly Meadowlawn Lanes — in 1980. Both are still open today.

In 1985–86, Jerry and Gilbert created the Gilbert O. Baschab Foundation to begin giving back to a community that had given the family so much. Today, that foundation lives on as the Krauss Baschab Family Foundation — still investing, overwhelmingly, in the local community it came from.

Gilbert Baschab

Co-Founder

New York native. Uncle to Jerry. Co-created the foundation in 1985 to give back to the community that welcomed him.

Jerry Krauss

Co-Founder · 61-Year Rotarian

Moved his young family to Pinellas Park in 1957 and spent seven decades married to Joan. His work — and his values — continue to shape the Foundation today.

Fred Hoyer

Partner & Family Friend

A founding partner in Sunshine Bowl and the centers that followed — proof that a family business can be built on friendship as much as blood.

Seven decades on the lanes

A family history in five moments.

1957

Sunshine Bowl opens

16 lanes and a Bavarian restaurant open in Pinellas Park on December 20.

1976

Seminole Lanes built

A 60-lane center rises on five acres in the City of Seminole.

1980

Sunrise Lanes joins

The former Meadowlawn Lanes is purchased in St. Petersburg.

1985

The Foundation begins

Jerry and Gilbert create the Gilbert O. Baschab Foundation.

2026

Seminole turns 50

Seminole Lanes celebrates its 50th anniversary this November.

The Family Motto

Excellence — or what the hell are we doing here.

A Krauss Baschab family standard, since 1957.

What we believe

Three values, one family standard.

Everything we fund comes back to the same simple idea: give people the tools to work hard and do good work.

Education

We invest in students, teachers, and programs that widen the path from classroom to career.

Community

We support the local institutions — bowling centers, youth leagues, and neighborhood programs — that bring people together.

Excellence

We back the people and organizations who take their craft seriously and who help others do the same.

The centers today

Seminole Lanes and Sunrise Lanes.

Two bowling centers, one family — and the shared history that inspired the Foundation.

50 Years Nov 2026

City of Seminole, FL

Seminole Lanes

Built in 1976 on five acres in the City of Seminole. Sixty lanes, a 7,000 sq ft Game Zone arcade, and decades of community leagues, birthday parties, and Saturday nights.

Est. 1976
60 lanes
7,000 sq ft arcade

St. Petersburg, FL

Sunrise Lanes

Purchased in 1980 — originally Meadowlawn Lanes — Sunrise fills a full city block in St. Petersburg. Thirty-two lanes and a 2,500 sq ft Game Zone arcade keep the neighborhood rolling.

Est. 1980
32 lanes
2,500 sq ft arcade

From the family archive

Moments that made us.

A few snapshots from seven decades of the family, the lanes, and the people the Foundation serves.

Vintage postcard of Sunshine Bowl showing the Bavarian Inn Restaurant with its Alpine gable, checkered tablecloths inside, and the bright yellow BOWLING sign on the exterior. — The original Bavarian Inn at Sunshine Bowl.

Portrait of Jerry Krauss in a Rotary sweatshirt with his arm around his wife Joan, both smiling warmly. — Jerry & Joan — seven decades together.

A tribute displayed on the lane-side monitors at Seminole Lanes reading 'In Loving Memory — Jerry Krauss — 61 year Rotarian.' — Jerry Krauss — his legacy at Seminole Lanes.

Christine Krauss Patel and family gathered around a dinner table, laughing. — The family, still gathering.

A blue and green thank-you card from Bauder Elementary reading 'Adopt-A-Class — Thank you to The Krauss Baschab Foundation — Seahawk Level IV.' — A thank-you from Bauder Elementary.

Who We Serve

Students, workers, and the community around the lanes.

Our giving is focused on the causes closest to the family's heart: education, workforce opportunity, and the sport and community of bowling — with most of our contributions staying right here in the local community.

Focus areas

Where our support goes.

A student's hands writing in a notebook next to a stack of hardcover books in warm morning light.

Scholarships & Education

Support for students pursuing degrees, trades, and certifications — the kind of learning that leads directly to a stronger workforce and a better life. Local classroom partners like Bauder Elementary's Adopt-A-Class program are a natural fit.

An older hand and a younger hand together holding a marbled bowling ball on a wooden lane.

Youth & Community Bowling

Youth leagues, bowling clinics, coach development, and programs that keep the sport welcoming and affordable at the community level.

Modern bowling center interior with yellow booths and glowing lane markers.

Workforce & Local Programs

Practical, hands-on programs that help people build a career: apprenticeships, job training, and mentorship in the communities where our family has deep roots.

In their words

Voices from the people we support.

The testimonials below are placeholders — we'll replace them with real quotes from scholarship recipients, community partners, and program leaders as we gather them.

The Foundation's scholarship let me finish my last year of school without a second job. I graduated on time, and I'm now doing the work I trained for.

Scholarship Recipient Class of 2024 · Placeholder testimonial

Our youth bowling league would not exist without the Krauss Baschab Family Foundation. Every Saturday we watch kids build confidence, one frame at a time.

Youth League Coordinator Community Bowling Program · Placeholder testimonial

Working with the Foundation feels like working with a family — thoughtful, patient, and focused on what actually helps people in our community.

Program Partner Local Nonprofit · Placeholder testimonial

I grew up at Sunrise Lanes. The Foundation is doing exactly what that place always did: giving people somewhere to work hard and belong.

Community Member Longtime Bowler · Placeholder testimonial

Have a program that fits our mission?

We're always interested in hearing from organizations working in education, bowling, and community workforce programs — especially in Pinellas County and the surrounding areas.

A Family Legacy of Community and Excellence.