What??? is a page I thought of to enumerate the things that Airway Lanes does for its bowlers and the community. It can be almost anything and there will be a lot of things that you aren't even aware of. If you can think of anything, let me know at bowlingisbest@airwaylanes.com. Thanks -- Gary last update, this page 1/3/12
Ask yourself -- "What does your bowling alley do for you?"
1) Airway Lanes has AMF synthetic lanes, and real WOOD approaches. This is a Airway Lanes exclusive in the area. The approaches are never a problem because of humidty and Airway has the highest number of published award scores, on a per lane basis, in a wide area around us. 2) Tries to hire Airway bowlers to do work around the center, especially if they are unemployed. 3) Gives a "league bowler discount" to Airway League bowlers for open bowling. Open bowling is $1.79 a game ANYTIME for all Airway League bowlers. 4) Airway Youth League bowlers get free rental shoes whenever they bowl - including open bowling. 5) Provides an "in school bowling program", free of charge to local schools. This is an accredited program, taught by teachers, and touches on, not only bowling, but math, English, history and other aspects of education. It is a turnkey operation for teachers. At the end, all of the students get free bowling passes. 6) Has a very informative website, maintained almost daily. It lists all of the activities at Airway, who has done what (but not to whom), high scores, human interest stories, and much, much more. Not only do I brag about the good stuff here, if something goes wrong, I will inform you on the web site. I think it is the largest bowling alley website in the country. 7) Airway sends all of its patrons a monthly newsletter, along with a coupon worth from $2 to $5 a person, depending upon how much you use the Airway facilities. I think Airway is exclusive with coupons like that. 8) Does Bowlathons and Airway "Funny Money" Comedy Benefit shows for people, or groups, in need. We have raised as much as $48,000 in a single bowlathon. 9) Provides practice lanes three days a week for the WMHS bowling team at a greatly reduced rate. Also provides a meeting room and equipment storage space. Allows the team to sell 50/50 tickets for fundraising. 10) Keeps the parking lot cleared of snow and ice as is possible, usually before opening and then again in the evening. 11) Did I say that Airway has real WOOD approaches? 12) Provides a end of the season "Champion of Champions Tournament" and EVERY team cashes at least as much as the entry fee. Further, each team collects that portion of their prize money while competing in the tournament. This tournament is Certified! 13) Provides two $300 to $400 scholarships yearly. One to an Airway high school senior, the other to the senior child of a Airway adult bowler. 14) Has free WiFi available for Airway patrons. 15) Has an in season "Airway Scholarship Tournament" 16) Has a end of season "Award Score Shooutout" Tournament - Certified! 17 Is doing what it can to bring the building "green"! 18) Posts Award Scores on the wall, and, from the ceiling, when we running out of space. 19) Has 2 great, outdoor, beach volleyball courts, 5 horseshoe lanes and three decks. 20) Had very effective air cleaners installed and highly maintained WAY before the no smoking law went in to effect. Because of this, Airway has a better atmosphere than any other center. 21) Sends out $3 birthday coupons to everyone that signs up for email delivery. 22) Has REAL wood approaches!! 23) Posts website stories about its bowlers 24) Has Art make great comments to the bowlers over the PA system. 25) Has a 5' tall bowling pin available for youth birthday parties. Great for picture taking opportunities. 26) Has MANY longtime employees that actually will take care of any problem you may have. 27) Has a direct email link to the proprietor (bowlingisbest@airwaylanes.com) if you need to contact me. 28) Has free babysitting for the morning bowling leagues, in a enclosed area that had already been smoke free for years. 29) Has a "Texas Hold 'em" jackpot for the bowlers. 30) Airway Lounge has 7 soft tip, and 8 steel tip dart boards. Also the largest number of dart leagues and tournaments in the area. 31) Airway provides the run of the building for school class parties, in May and June, at greatly reduced rates for the kids. 32) Has absolutely the largest sandwiches, as a regular thing, in Dad's Deli, than most free standing Deli's. 33) Provides free use of a computer to access the internet. 34) Posts old pictures of Airway bowlers, plus pictures from the "old" days of bowling. provided by various people, on the web site. 34) Posts a history of the bowling center. 35) BEFORE the May 1st, 2010 law banning smoking in buildings, Airway was already in the process of washing everything in the building - to get rid of any residual nicotine smell. 36) Has most of the sidewalk covered to protect patrons from inclement weather. 37) Has a carport for *see #36!. 38) Stocks special drinks at the bar on request for regular customers.
39) Organizes the "Airway Traveling Tournament" to take groups of Airway bowlers, friends and family to "up north" weekends to party and have fun. 40) Organizes the (largest for the past 3+ years) squad of women for the Ladies MI State Tourney for decades! Last year the squad was 80 women - all wearing Airway shirts! 41) Will juggle the volleyball schedules to accomodate needs of players as much as possible.
42) Has the wife and daughter hand Tie Dye 74 t-shirts (and design them every other year!) so the ladies going to the tournament can look awesome!! (Oh...I'll attach pics of that one!)
42) Carries rental shoes in sizes that range from itty-bitty to ginormous (size 18)....accomodating the newly walking and NBA players alike (think Rip Hamilton!)! 43) Runs a free Texas Hold 'em Poker Tournament, every Thursday in the Lounge, where you can actually win a seat in the "World Series of Poker" 44) Has Mike Zak offering to pay jackpot winners with "Canadian dollars". 45) Has great landscaping done around the building and on the deck (Thank you, Wil Gaukler). 46) Runs the "Sheila's Ladies Singles Tournament on Easter Saturday, plus 1 or 2 more times a year, as requested by the ladies. Another certified tournament. 47) Runs Rich Jiminez's "Lil Rich's Christmas Doubles" the Saturday before Christmas. Again, it is certified. 48) Has a Sheila Kaer to operate Comedy Fudraisers. 49) Has a Frank Benning to create what is the 2nd largest soft tip dart tournament in Michigan (in it's 1st year). We are looking to be #1 next year! 50) Has a Sheila Kaer working as a "Party Planner" 51) Has an enclosed and HEATED smoking area for it's patrons.