Watch Bobby Portis battle Drink Wisconsinbly on the bowling lanes on Oct. 14

This article is in partnership with Drink Wisconsinbly. 

Bobby Portis is a champion on the basketball court and the unofficial mayor of Milwaukee – but can he also rule over the bowling lanes? Drink Wisconsinbly will answer that question when it rolls out its inaugural “Bowling with the Champ” Charity Classic at Landmark Lanes on Friday, Oct. 14. 

Inspired by the popular local retro TV series, the bowling battle will pit Portis against Al Larson, Drink Wisconsinbly’s accountant and 235-average bowler, for the title of Milwaukee’s Bowling Champion – all in front of a cheering crowd of locals at Landmark Lanes, the iconic East Side bowling alley and bar fresh off its 95th birthday. Doors open at 5 p.m., with balls flying toward pins starting at 6 p.m.

Best of all, no matter who claims victory, everyone will feel like a winner Friday night as a portion of the proceeds from the first-ever bowling bout will be donated to the Bobby Portis Foundation, the basketball player’s charity committed to creating programs and initiatives that aid single mothers throughout the Arkansas community, where Portis was born, raised and went to school. The money will be donated on behalf of Wisconsinbly Cares, a new initiative focused on giving back to its namesake state. 

“I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Drink Wisconsinbly for the inaugural Bowling with the Champ Charity Classic,” said Bobby Portis, in a release. “To be able to raise awareness for the Bobby Portis Foundation while doing one of my favorite off-the-court hobbies is incredible.”

“We are honored to have Bobby Portis, the Mayor of Milwaukee, be a part of our first charity classic and to have a donation going to his foundation,” said Wisconsinbly Holdings co-founder and CEO Ryan Walther, in the release. “Drink Wisconsinbly strives to Champion the Wisconsin life, and this event will have it all. I think the moneyline will come out with Al at -$150.”

If you want to be one of the lucky 250 live fans cheering on your Brew City bowler of choice, tickets are on sale now at this Eventbrite link. General admission tickets cost $10, while VIP admission – complete with a meet-and-greet autograph session with Portis hosted an hour before doors open – costs $100. Act fast, though, because there are only 50 VIP admissions total …

If you’re unfortunately unable to get into the bowling bash, don’t worry: Drink Wisconsinbly will replay the highlights on its social media channels later this fall. 

And as for Bobby Portis’ day job, the Bucks tip off their postseason on Saturday night against the Grizzlies at Fiserv Forum – so stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for much more Bucks updates as their campaign for another championship begins.