By Meredith Sheftel, Staff Writer

Students and fathers came together for a night of bowling and fun sponsored by the newly founded Father’s Association. The event was held at Brunswick Zone Hazlet Lanes on October 28.

Pairs of fathers and daughters were randomly split into teams of three and occupied over twenty lanes. The teams varied in grade level, which resulted in the opportunity for families to branch out and bond with one another.

“I had such a great time not only hanging out with my friends, but also their dads. It was a great idea to mix up the grade levels. Because of this, our community had an opportunity to grow,” sophomore Veronica Szenzenstein said.

Each bowler played three games consisting of different activities, including waddling like a penguin down the lane and bowling through his or her partner’s legs. Each round kept the participants engaged and excited.

(From Le to R): Lila G., Sarah N., Victoria P. and Jackie D. enjoy time with their fathers on Oct. 28 at Brunswick Zone Hazlet Lanes. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Whelan)

Students, including junior Molly Clifford, noted that no matter how many points were scored, players were cheered on with high-fives and positive remarks from other families in their lane. “All of the work that the Fathers’ Association put into the event provided for a very positive event with fun for everyone,” Clifford said.

The Fathers’ Association, founded and run by Frankie Francese, father of junior Riley Francese, and Stephen Miller, father of junior Ryen Miller, was created with the mindset that fathers and daughters should have more opportunities to connect with each other.

“[The goal is to] come together as a community to create a stronger bond between all fathers and daughters,” said Aaron Noorigian, father of sophomore Hannah Noorigian and member of the association. “[The association] encourages fathers of the community to offer new and fresh ideas that both the fathers and daughters can enjoy.

The bowling night allowed freshmen to experience the closeness of the community for the first time and enabled them to have a sneak peek into what they can look forward to in the years to come in high school.

“We got another opportunity to meet more people in the community and talk to upperclassmen. It was nice to hang out with families outside of my grade,” freshman Sarah Nejame said.

Students are excited for the continuation of Father Daughter Bowling. “It was a great bonding experience, and I would definitely want to do something like it again,” freshman Sofia Lehman said.