Free Bowling in Palo Alto For Kids This Summer

I saw this in the Mercury News and thought this was a great idea.
Palo Alto Bowl is one of three participating bowling centers (please don't call them bowling alleys) in the Peninsula area. The other two are in San Mateo and Daly City. It might be a bit far for those in the South Bay, but kids can bowl for free, including rental shoes, every day from May through September. It's part of the Say No To Drugs, Say Yes To Bowling program supported by a dozen Bay Area police departments and 300 Bay Area schools. It keeps kids out of trouble, provides fun and exercise, and builds self-esteem.

From a Mercury News article by Kristina Peterson:
"It costs us a lot of money," said Rex Golobic, owner of the three bowling alleys. "But we think it's really important, and the kids do too."

I say amen to that.

More details in this Mercury News article by Patty Fisher.

Kids and parents can go to here to sign up.

Bowling centers are part of a dying breed. Developers are snatching them up as land grows scarce. If you're in the South Bay, support local bowling centers like 300 San Jose (I remember when it was plain old Oakridge Lanes; my brothers bowled there for years during adolescence, some 25 years ago), Cambrian Bowl, Fourth Street Bowl, and these others before they're all gone.

This post has been edited by mobyfan on May 26 2007, 02:42 PM

Palo Alto Bowl is a fine place to roll a ball down a lane! Well, at least it was a few years ago. I haven't been back there in a while. Do they still give you socks with every shoe rental? I always got a kick out of how they did that. During the height of the tech bubble, it was impossible to get a lane at Palo Alto Bowl. I always had to RSVP ahead by a week or more to get a couple of lanes together.

The Thai restauraunt in front is pretty good and I always got quite a kick from earing bowling bins getting battered coming out from the kitchen back area.

QUOTE (Sheldon @ May 26 2007, 03:43 PM)

Palo Alto Bowl is a fine place to roll a ball down a lane! Well, at least it was a few years ago. I haven't been back there in a while. Do they still give you socks with every shoe rental? I always got a kick out of how they did that. During the height of the tech bubble, it was impossible to get a lane at Palo Alto Bowl. I always had to RSVP ahead by a week or more to get a couple of lanes together. The Thai restaurant in front is pretty good and I always got quite a kick from hearing bowling bins getting battered coming out from the kitchen back area.

I went there for a team outing a few months ago and didn't remember getting socks. I'm not sure how much I'd like having loaner socks anyway.

I've also been to the Thai restaurant and it's pretty good.