The event, which was part of Special Olympics New York, was largely planned by Adirondack Arc’s Amy Carlson. She said that many people at Adirondack Arc were already bowling at Romano’s, so it made perfect sense to plan a tournament and bring several teams together at once.

Carlson reached out to owners Jeff and Kathy Romano, who were enthusiastic about it from the get-go.

“(They) were just absolutely amazing and so supportive,” she said. “They’ve always made themselves available for years and years.”

The invitational took a few months of planning, and Carlson said it was rewarding to see it all come together. She said the Adirondacks’ rural nature can make it difficult for many people living with disabilities to travel and come together to socialize.

Joe Cross bowls at Romano’s Saranac Lanes on Monday in Saranac Lake during the inaugural North Country Region Local Bowling event, organized as part of the Special Olympics New York. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)

“It was a great time,” she said. “There are a lot of people in the area who aren’t able to travel very far and haven’t had something that they can participate in with the accessibility needs at hand for some of the individuals … so we really wanted to try to bring something closer to bring that opportunity.”

Carlson said the coronavirus pandemic broke down a lot of long-lasting social connections. It’s something Adirondack Arc is working to restore through gatherings like the North Country Regional Invitational. She was pleased to see such a wide range of ages among the athletes.

“We had people who had just graduated high school all the way up to … competitors in their 80s,” she said.

The event began with the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem, before remarks were delivered by both athletes and organizers during an opening ceremony.

Athletes then took to the lanes, first for a warm-up period before the tournament got underway. There was a volunteer on hand for each of the eight lanes, with bowling ramps available for anyone who needed one.

Teams who were represented included the Adirondack Rednecks, Seven Deadly Pins and the Adirondack Arc Lightning. The results were unavailable by press time Tuesday afternoon, but will eventually be published in the Special Olympics New York database.

Carlson said the event was a smashing success and was hopeful that it would return to Romano’s Saranac Lanes next year.