Parker Bohn III visits Jackson alley

Over 300 people welcomed Professional Bowling Association great Parker Bohn III to Main Street Lanes as the featured guest for the First Annual Great, Greater and Greatest Bowlers of Southeast Missouri Sunday afternoon in Jackson.

"Basically we just gather together bowlers of all ages to honor the tradition of bowling in Southeast Missouri," said John Litz, general manager of Main Street Lanes, which opened in early July. "It's both a celebration and an opportunity to show off Parker."

Dennis Hacker, a close friend of both Litz and Bohn, maintains Bohn's Web site and was able to lure him to Jackson for a weekend.

Bohn, a Jackson, N.J., native, has earned over $2 million as a professional bowler, winning 29 national titles and 15 regional titles. He was named the PBA Player of the Year in 1999, when he bowled eight 300 games and won five titles.

"He's probably the most recognized bowler in the world, the ambassador of the sport of bowling," Litz said. "He's such a class act."

The premier event of the day was the invitational tournament featuring 18 teams of four people, picked by a Main Street Lanes committee. The competitive field, which included Bohn, was primarily from Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

Other events included a free youth clinic instructed by Bohn, an evening buffet for the bowlers and a trick shot session by Bohn, during which he discussed life on the PBA tour.

Main Street Lanes charged a $20 donation fee for the tournament, and all proceeds from the day will go to the American Cancer Society and the Jackson Senior Center.

Sunday's happenings were put together by Litz, John Hacker, Rich Gross, Mike Edgar and Eddie Craft.

"It was people of all ages, and it gave everyone the opportunity to bowl with Parker," Litz said. "Hopefully it helped keep younger people interested in bowling.

"It's really cool that Parker takes time out of his schedule to do something like this. It's a real honor for us here."