Recognition Source recently supplied crystal bowling pins awards for the BPAA International Expo, an event that hosts bowling industry leaders from around the world. The event was hosted in Reno Nevada, often regarded as the bowling capital of the world, and coincided with 2012 Women’s Open, which can conducted outdoors for the first time, leaving the lady bowlers competing with wind and dust.

The crystal bowling pins were awarded at the conference for exceptional contributions to the bowling community and also our nation’s heroes that have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Some of the awardees included:

• Gordon Vadakin - A bowling coach recently inducted into the Hall of Fame.
• Captain Mark Kelly - Keynote speaker, retired American astronaut and U.S. Navy Captain
• Theresa Tobin - 9/11 first responder and the highest-ranking female ever to receive the NYPD Medal of Valor.
• Lt. Col. Kevin Sweeney - Only person to have ever landed a KC-135, the military version of the Boeing 707, after the two engines on the left wing were ripped off in flight. Awarded the USAF Distinguished Flying Cross.
• Captain Scott O’Grady - Former ASAF Captain and fighter pilot who gained prominence in 1995 after his jet was shot down by Bosnian forces. He evaded capture and was rescued six days later.