Great River Bowl named ‘Business of Year'

by Dennis Dalman, Sartell Newsleader

Friday, May 14, 2010 2:11 PM EDT
Bowling and everything to do with it just seems to be “in the blood” of the Mathiasen family, which helps explain the ongoing success of Great River Bowl and Partners Pub in Sartell. Owned by Lyle and Barb Mathiasen of St. Cloud, their son Jason (above) is the on-site manager. The other two sons, Matt and Brian, also help out whenever they can. With such stiff competition, it was a “wonderful surprise” to Jason Mathiasen when his businss, Great River Bowl and Partners Pub, was named Sartell Business of the Year.

The surprise announcement came during the Sartell Area of Chamber of Commerce's annual banquet May 6 at Blackberry Ridge Golf Course.

“It was an incredible honor,” Mathiasen told the Sartell Newsleader after the banquet. “There was such stiff competition. I knows it sounds like a cliche, but this one is really true - that it's an honor just to be thought of in the same league as those other businesses. They have all contributed so much to the community.”

The other nominated businesses were BankVista, Coborn's, Marnanteli's Pizza, Pine Cone Pet Hospital, Sartell-St. Stephen Community Education, Synergy Chiropractic and Wellness, The Vein Center, Valley Green and Verso Paper.

“We don't do these things for recognition,” Mathiasen said. “We do them because we love to give back to the community.”

Great River Bowl employs five full-time employees and up to 30 part-time, depending on the season.

High on his list of thank yous for the honor is the people of Sartell and one in particular - Chris Kosloski, director of the St. Stephen-Sartell Community Education program.

“This community has been so terrific in supporting us,” Mathiasen said. “That makes it all the more enjoyable to give back.”

For several years, Mathiasen and Kosloski have worked in tandem, coming up with innovative programs at Great River Bowl and elsewhere to bring quality of life to Sartell.

“I'm involved in a lot of volunteer activities,” Mathiasen said, starting to laugh. “Well, let me put it this way, I'm involved with whatever Chris (Kosloski) signs me up to do.”

Often, Kosloski will call Mathiasen with a “what if” question.

A typical Kosloski query is: “Hey, Jason, what if we did this program for these young kids that could raise money and the kids would have a good time besides?”

Almost invariably, Mathiasen will respond with something like, “Sounds good to me.”

As a result of their collaborations, Great River Bowl is teeming, in every season, with fun activities and fundraisers.

A partial list includes an annual Kids Halloween Party and Food Drive (4,000 pounds of food last year), a Kids Thanksgiving Party and Toys for Tots fundraiser ($500 raised last year), a post-volleyball dinner fundraiser for breast-cancer research, a bowling fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, a bowling event for Junior Achievement. a three-week bowling event called Roll With It for children with disabilities in wheelchairs, an extended bowling event for children with cerebral palsy. There are

regular mornings and afternoons reserved for senior bowling and for children's bowling. Most of those are Mathiasen-Kosloski collaborations.

In addition, Mathiasen, who serves on the Sartell SummerFest Committee, loves to host a street dance, fireworks and Xtreme Xtravaganza (a big party for youth) as SummerFest events.

The Great River Bowl building was constructed in 1979 and purchased by Mathiasen's parents, Lyle and Barb, in 1984. Jason and his two brothers, Matt and Brian, all grew up working there in their spare time. Mathiasen is currently manager, although his brothers also work part-time when they get the chance.

Barb is still a sales representative for the business. Lyle is operations director for many city buildings in St. Cloud, including Whitney Senior Center, the Paramount Theater and the Municipal Athletic Complex.

Great River Bowl has undergone many expansions and improvements throughout the years. In 2000 eight bowling lanes were added; in 2004 a large break room was added; in 2007 a courtroom was constructed on the building's east side.

Monday night, the Sartell City Council gave the go-ahead for Mathiasen to do another major expansion project (see related story in this paper).

Mathiasen is active in the Chamber, on the SummerFest commitees and as a coach and all-around helper for the Community Ed program.

He and his wife, Mari, have three children: Colby, 8; Zach, 6; and Will, 4. Mari is a sixth-grade teacher at Sartell Middle School.

The Mathiasens live in St. Cloud, but Jason, who considers himself a diehard Sartellian, grins when he says, “We live right next to Sartell, though. Only about 200 feet from the borderline.

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