Bowling alley owners Jeff and Cathy Romano wanted to celebrate the day with a focus on getting kids into the sport. Next month, they’re hoping to restart a youth bowling league in partnership with the school after two decades of the league being dormant.

When they bought the bowling alley 18 years ago, it had been closed for two years. The Romanos said they had to do a lot of rebuilding of the bowling community. Ever since then, they’ve wanted to bring back the high school league.

“The youth, that’s our future,” Jeff said. “It’s all for the kids.”

For kids who don’t want to or can’t play other sports, it is a great option, Jeff said. It’s athletic, it’s social, and as an indoor sport, it can be played year-round.

Ru Konzratenok, 9, from Lake Placid gets his face painted like Raphael from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Martha Watts. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Each game includes a third of a mile of walking, and the bowling approach uses 134 muscles in the body.

While Romano’s is a bar, the couple said it’s more of a family friendly fun center. They’re hoping to expand that this fall. The youth league is for bowlers ages 5 to 18 and will meet at noon on either Sept. 7 or Sept. 8.

Jeff is on the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America board and said they have plans to promote bowling on a national scale this year — including at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The bowling alley is also starting up a “Date Night” couples league on Wednesdays, starting Aug. 28 at 6:30 p.m.