By Rob Potter
LIBERTY — The 2009-2010 bowling season at Liberty Lanes will not be an average one.
The bowling center is holding many special events and promotions as the Fix family celebrates its 40th anniversary of owning the facility. Bob Fix Sr. bought Liberty Lanes from Bogner-Seitel Lumber Company on Aug. 3, 1970. Bogner-Seitel completed construction of the bowling alley in Feb. 1960 and ran it until the sale. Fix had a great deal of experience
in the bowling industry. For 10 years, he was the manager of Centereach Lanes on Long Island. He also owned Long Island Bowling Service, which refurbished pins and lanes at bowling centers from Maine to Maryland and as far west as Ohio.
Today, the Liberty Lanes staff has grown to eight people: Bob Fix Sr. and his wife Honey, their son Bob Fix Jr. and his wife Sheila, their son Thomas Fix, Kyle Stevens, Wendy Swan and Paul Tuttle. Liberty Lanes is offering the special deals and promotions with local bowlers in mind.
“We are community-oriented because without the community we wouldn’t be here,” Bob Fix Jr. said.
Among the new promotions for to mark the Fix family’s 40 years with Liberty Lanes is “Strike It Rich.” In certain frames on selected lanes, a head pin which has been painted bright green will appear. If a bowler rolls a strike with the green head pin on the lane, he or she will receive a free Mega Millions lottery ticket for the next drawing of the multistate lottery. The ticket could be worth $10 million to $333 million.
In addition, Liberty Lanes will be offering a Sony PlayStation 3 promotion in conjunction with the Liberty Elks Youth Bowling Program. Beginning tomorrow and continuing for the next 12 weeks, every time a child shows up to bowl in the Elks’ Bumper, Bantam or Teenage Leagues, their name will be placed into a raffle box. Just before Christmas, one lucky bowler will have their name drawn and win the brand new PlayStation 3 game system.
The youth leagues have other benefits besides the chance to win a game system worth about $300. “No child sits out, everyone plays,” Fix Jr. said. “Every kid receives a trophy at the end of the season.”
Another youth-oriented promotion is “Strike Up Good Grades.” Now in its fourth year, the program gives free game coupons to students in Sullivan County schools who earn an 85 or above average in the core subjects of English, math, science and social studies in a marking period.
Last year, Liberty Lanes gave out more than 9,600 free game coupons to students at Liberty Elementary, Middle and High Schools, St. Peters Regional Catholic School in Liberty, Light & Life Christian School in Liberty, Livingston Manor Elementary, Middle and High Schools, Roscoe Central School and Sullivan West Elementary School.
Liberty Lanes also gave out more than 900 coupons for a free game and shoe rental to several organizations last year. Among them were Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Kenneth L. Rutherford Elementary School in Monticello, St. Baldrick’s Foundation to conquer kids’ cancer, Special Needs for Kids, Town of Bethel Youth Board and Tri-Valley Soccer.
Liberty Lanes will have leagues every night of the week but Tuesday for the 2009-2010 season and will offer special deals for open bowling. For example, the Family Bargain Special will be held on Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. when bowling is only $3 per game with free shoe rentals. Friday and Saturday Night Specials feature one hour of bowling for just $25 between 9 p.m. and midnight.
The Sunday Family Special from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. offers families free shoe rentals, a free large pizza and a free pitcher of soda for $35 for one hour. The second hour of bowling is just $24.
In an effort to get more people involved in the sport, Liberty Lanes has a special deal for new bowlers.
“For $60, a person can get a Linds bowling ball, which we drill
for them, a bowling bag and bowling shoes,” Fix Jr. said. “Over the past three years, 182 people have done that.”
Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Liberty Lanes will have a special pink pin program. Throughout the month, pink head pins will appear occasionally on selected lanes. If a bowler strikes with the pink pin, he or she will receive a ticket for a special 50/50 raffle. The drawing will be held at the end of the month, with the winner receiving half of the money and the other half going to breast cancer research.
Fix Jr. also pointed out that Liberty Lanes is the only local bowling center which purchases 300 game jackets for bowlers who roll a perfect game at the center. He said the jackets, which are worth $400 to $500, feature leather sleeves and “Liberty Lanes 300 Game” embroidered on the back.
Six local bowlers have received the 300 game jackets in the past
few years. “We’re happy to do it because it’s an important thing,” Fix Jr. said. “Those bowlers should be recognized for doing something special.”