Teen bowlers at Jackson, Saxony Lutheran receive donated equipment

Jesse Bledsoe of Cape Girardeau heard about the Wednesday, Dec. 28, fire that gutted Jackson Lanes bowling alley and he knew he could help.

"Before I came (to Cape Girardeau) I lived in St. Louis for about seven years and bowled that area and got to know a lot of people up there," Bledsoe said. "I met a man by the name of Jason who owns the pro shop at Quonset Lanes in Crystal City (Missouri) and when I made a post about the fire on my Facebook page, Jason picked it up and said he wanted to help."

Quonset, on Saturday, Dec. 31, donated more than 100 bowling balls, plus a few bowling bags and shoes for teen bowlers from Jackson and Saxony Lutheran high schools -- both of whom used Jackson Lanes as a home base.

A caravan of vehicles, including one pulling a trailer, went north from Jackson to pick up the equipment.

"I'm just a very avid supporter of the sport," Bledsoe said. "I really try to help anyone getting into the game and those who want to get better. I'm trying to do my part to keep this game going longer."

Dennis Hacker, administrator of the SEMO High School Bowling Conference, is also head coach of the 18-member Jackson High School squad, which won a state title in 2022.

"A good portion of our JHS team was employed at Jackson Lanes, and so it was natural for them to keep their stuff there," Hacker said. "Bowling balls today are made of what they call 'reactive resin' on the outside. There's a dynamic core on the inside and the curing process joins everything together to make it one solid piece -- but they're not designed to go through the intensively high temperatures of a fire. There are different degrees of destruction that we've seen already. The core is going to separate from the shells on these balls and it's not going to take very long."

Reschedule

Hacker said in the wake of the Jackson Lanes fire, the high school league has pushed back the start of its season by a full week, to Saturday, Jan. 15. The initial match will be at West Park Lanes in Cape Girardeau.

There are eight high school teams in the bowling conference: Jackson, Saxony Lutheran, Cape Girardeau Central, Perryville, North County, Park Hills, Farmington and the newest addition, Perryville's St Vincent de Paul.

Benefit

Hacker and Bledsoe said they are aware of various fundraising efforts underway to assist the high school teams.

One effort planned for later this month will help those workers displaced from their jobs at Jackson Lanes. A benefit tournament is planned for 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, at West Park Lanes.

"One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to Jackson Lanes' employees because West Park Lanes manager Darryl James is waiving the entire lineage and the entry fee as well, and all of it will go to help those workers," Bledsoe said.

Bledsoe said there is no online system to signup to bowl in the fundraiser. Those so inclined to help should simply show up that evening, pay the entry fee and bowl.

Extra motivation

"When I was 24, I went through a fire at a bowling alley in Huntington, West Virginia, and nobody did anything, and the youth program there collapsed," Bledsoe recalled.

"I was younger at the time and just didn't know how to help," he added, noting his years in the military and later running a pro shop put him in a more resourceful position when he heard about the Jackson Lanes fire.

"I knew I had the knowledge and the free time and thought I could help with this."

Jackson Lanes, a 12-lane alley at 304 E. Monroe St., first opened in 1960.