Chamber rolls into fundraising events, hosts 'Back Our Veterans' bowling tourney

RIO RANCHO — A perfect roll of an event, with gratitude to spare.

On Feb. 22, the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted the Back Our Veterans Bowling Tournament at Tenpins & More Bowling Alley.

The event is put on by the chamber’s Veterans In Business group in its yearly quest to raise money to award grants to veteran-owned businesses that are two years or younger and have 15 employees or fewer.

“Whenever you open up a new business, there are always ancillary costs that accrue, and we want to help offset that,” Chamber Director of Membership Jaime Gallardo said. "Our way of giving back to those who served and provided us the freedom we all benefit from.”

With the fundraising efforts in mind, players and teams hit the lanes. The tournament took over the bowling alley, with players enjoying some competition and fun on their Sunday afternoon.

Local sponsors were also present at the tournament, setting up shop to talk and interact with the bowlers.

“What a great event,” Better Business Bureau Serving New Mexico and Southwest Colorado, one of the tournament's sponsors, wrote online after the event, “We are proud to support the Back Our Veterans initiative.”

As the afternoon crept into the evening, the tournament dwindled in size until finding a pair of winners: The teams of Seth and Spencer Muller, along with Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull and Sandoval County Commissioner Mike Meek, took home the top spots in the 2026 VIB Bowling Tournament.

This is just the beginning of the Chamber’s fundraising season, with the bowling tournament marking the official kickoff.

Next in the sports department, the Chamber will host a 5K run in June, followed by a billiards tournament at Slate Street Billiards Bar and Grille in October.

If the next competitions are as much of a hit as this past weekend on the lanes, it should be a fun season for the VIB group.

“Thank you to everyone who participated in our Back Our Veterans Bowling Tournament,” RRRCC wrote online. “Your support, energy, and generosity made this event a huge success.”