A state-of-the-art therapeutic bowling center is the latest development at LifeTown in Livingston, N.J., a fully inclusive educational, social and recreational center for individuals with special needs.
The addition elevates its already impressive roster of amenities: a zero-access swimming pool, indoor mini-city, sound-dampening gym and more. Bowling allows individuals of all abilities to participate. The three-lane alley is specifically designed to accommodate neurodiverse individuals and their families.
LifeTown is a project of Friendship Circle New Jersey associated with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement that provides programs for Jewish children, teens and young adults with special needs.
“From the moment we agreed to help make this dream into a reality, it’s been a real pleasure seeing everything take shape,” said Jody Friedman. Jody and her husband, Bruce Friedman, were key supporters of the Bowling Center initiative. “Bowling at LifeTown is not just something that the special needs community will enjoy. It will also be a gathering place for the volunteers who serve the community, their families and friends of Friendship Circle and LifeTown.”
Legendary Hall of Fame bowlers Parker Bohn III and Johnny Petraglia kicked off a night of exclusive bowling for adults.
“You can bowl if you’re 2, and you can bowl if you’re 102,” said Bohn III after getting in a few strikes. “We are all built differently. We are all, more importantly, our own individual. The smiles that are going to be put on faces, they will last for a lifetime,” he said. “We’re all a kid at heart, and being right here is near and dear to my heart.”
For 18 months, a team of dedicated professionals and Friendship Circle supporters worked to bring the vision to life.
“Anything that LifeTown does, they do for the right reasons,” said Livingston Mayor Edward Meinhardt. “It’s beautiful, and I am thrilled to help them inaugurate and cut the ribbon.”
The center includes interactive projections and special acoustical treatments to ensure an engaging and inclusive experience for all.
“Helping kids is a great cause for Brunswick,” said Corey Dykstra, CEO of Brunswick Bowling, which was instrumental in constructing the center with love and care. “It was really simple for us to say yes to this project. It’s beautiful to see today, and it’s so exciting to watch the kids interact with bowling. I think we all agree that bowling is such a wonderful sport because everyone can do it.”
The sponsors were gifted personalized bowling jackets, and everyone dined on a delicious buffet dinner. Before the official ribbon-cutting, Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum, CEO of LifeTown, addressed the crowd and thanked everyone who contributed to the special space.
“It’s an absolute thrill to celebrate the grand opening of the LifeTown Bowling Center,” said Grossbaum as the crowd cheered. “We set out to create something that was truly extraordinary. And looking around today, I think it’s safe to say that we’ve bowled a perfect game.”
The Simon family and the Bershad family, instrumental supporters of the bowling center, were thrilled to see their work come to fruition. Twins Spencer and Jonah Simon even dedicated their bar mitzvah project to the center’s creation.
“It’s a meaningful way to give back,” said Mara Simon, a long-time Friendship Circle and LifeTown supporter, of her twins’ bar mitzvah project. “They were able to help make something permanent to remember their special day.”
Marisa Bershad, another longtime Friendship Circle and supporter of LifeTown, said the bowling center is “such a great addition. There are so many different ways to use it, and it’s a great addition to all the activities they offer here.”