Anna Marie Sapio was born January 12, 1949 in Buffalo, New York and lived in West Seneca, New York which is south of Buffalo until moving to Florida in 1992.
After high school she attended business school until she turned 18 so she could work in the family owned bar & restaurant business until it was sold in 1975. She then worked for the new owner for 2 ½ years to help get him going. The employees of Southgate Lanes were friends of the new owners and always came into the bar when hey finished work. In March of 1978 the bowling center had a lane waitress position open and Anna was hired for that job, but the owner found out she could cook and run a restaurant so he convinced her to take the snack bar job instead. Shortly after that, they needed someone to take over the Saturday Youth Program and that’s how it all started!
In 1991 her parents decided to retire to Florida and she came with them. The owner of Southgate Lanes gave her the name of William Boje (Mr. B). Anna’s dad started bowling an afternoon senior league at BCB. She went with him one day and asked at the desk where the owner was and was told Bill was at Home Depot. She talked to Jeff Boje instead and was called back the next day to begin working for BCB.
Anna has been the Youth Bowlers Tour (YBT) director for 12 years and has run 51 events and awarded $165,000.00 in scholarships.
She also runs the after-school program which includes 1 high school, 1 middle school, 3 private schools and 3 home-schooled groups.
Anna has been Tampa BPAA secretary for the past 2 years and has participated and helped organize the booth for the back to school bash to help promote in-school bowling.
Anna has also been president of the JJ Jammers’s league for 8 years and has supervised 10 sanctioned youth leagues.
Anna is currently a director serving on the Greater Tampa USBC Association and is the Co-Chair of the Youth Committee. She served as a director on the Tampa YABA board for two years prior to the merging of the 3 local associations.
She is also the Registered Volunteer Coordinator for the Tampa Association.
Prior to coming to Tampa, Anna was involved with youth in Buffalo, NY where she coached 11 years at a center that had the largest youth program in the Erie County Area.
She served on the board of directors and was on the bowling council. She was named
Coach of the Year in 1991.
Please join me in congratulating Anna as we induct her into the Greater Tampa Bowling Association Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service.