Small group of investors rally to save bowling alley

Valley City, ND (WDAY TV) - The leagues are continuing in Valley City after its only bowling alley nearly closed, leaving some people with few choices. Bowlers could travel out of town to bowl a frame or put their money together to buy the building and keep the strikes coming!

Sky Lanes has been open since the 1960s, holding men's, women’s and youth leagues like this nearly every day of the week.

“There’s always been complaining, there’s nothing to do but at least we had a bowling alley and we wanted to make sure we still have a bowling alley.”

11 people from Valley City saved the lanes from coming to a sudden stop this summer. The old owners were days away from closing the alley when with fast action the small group of investors rallied to buy the building.

“Certainly we'd like to make money, so that we can put it back, but that's really all that were after, we didn't get into this to make money.”

Owners say it's all about keeping the sport alive in the community, most importantly for the youngsters in Valley City. Its youth league is in its 45th year, a weekend event that hosts a good chunk of area students.

“Sky Lanes Youth Program has nearly 100 bowlers some of the senior in high school have been in the program since kindergarten and say losing their last year would have been devastating.”

“I would have been mad it would have been sad for me because I really like bowling and not bowling my senior season would have made me pretty ticked me off.”

“I look forward to it every weekend bowling is like my favorite sport, I probably would of ended up going to Jamestown or Fargo for a league if it closed down.”

A few regulars stepping up in a quick moment will keep bowling balls rumbling in the building for years to come. The new owners are remodeling some of the bowling alley. They've made space bigger, put money into the lanes, and patched up the roof.

Tags: your city, todd kurtz, valley city, bowling, news