In the summer of 1991, a gentleman named Glenn Denis had a vision of Northern New Jersey’s first gay bowling league. Glenn had been bowling in the NYC leagues for many years. He was involved with the MCAANY league, bowling out of Bowlmor Lanes. Glenn thought, why not start a league in Jersey City for all the NJ bowlers who have to trek over to NYC to enjoy a good gay league? So he, along with his good friend Dominick Varsalone decided to blanket all the area bars and restaurants over the summer looking for bowlers to join this new league. 

In September 1991, 48 bowlers showed up at that first general meeting to form the Garden State Gay Bowling Organization. They were the league’s first 12 teams.

As GSGBO’s first president, Glenn worked very hard to get the league running smoothly and established with IGBO, the International Gay Bowling Organization. Glenn’s focus was working with all the new bowlers and getting them involved since many of them had never bowled in a league, let alone a gay league. Some weeks Glenn skipped a game or he didn’t bowl at all because he was going lane to lane to make sure everyone was OK. Glenn was more concerned with the league bowlers than he was with bowling himself. His vision to provide a mechanism for the gay community to participate in sports, to interact with others in the community, to promote goodwill and to develop friendships is still alive and well today. 

Each year we honor a member of GSGBO who perpetuates Glenn’s vision, who has contributed to GSGBO, who displays good sportsmanship as well as a friendly and welcoming attitude. Basically, these are all of the qualities that Glenn himself exemplified. This award has carried even more merit since Glenn’s passing as it is a reminder to all of the members of GSGBO as to the history of the league. This award is the greatest honor that one can hope to receive from the league. The selection of the nominees and the winner is taken very seriously by the previous winners and the current GSGBO officers as they identify those individuals in our league that have shown some of these qualities. 

Glenn Denis* Award Winners

(*indicates also a recipient of the IGBO's Fellowship Award)

2023 - Angie Rodriguez

2022 Robb Hunter	2021 Donnie Fratello	2020 Joey Adisano-Sessa	2019 Colleen          Stoll-Calderon	2018 Raffy Rodriguez
2017 Efrain Hernandez	2016 Jason Lopez	2015 Ron Connors-Ehlert	2014 Larry Manogue	2013 Gilbert Baez
2012 Kevin Landherr	2011 Rob Vitale	2010 Rob Lahoda	2009 Ben Minish-Malinconico	2008 Lou Rodrique
2007 Jim Engle	2006 Neil Koplitz	2005 Pam Katzman	2004 Brian Hamlin	2003 Alan Platoff
2002 Joanne Mistler	2001 Amando Hernandez*	2000 Jeff Weinberg*	1999 Cesar Gonzalez	1998 Joe Curci*
1997 Robert Powers	1996 Bob Buhr	1995 Dominic Varsalone