Worcester native Pete Royce brings back memories with 'Bowling for Scholars' charity broadcasts
WHITINSVILLE — A while ago, in the years between Morse code and Twitter, Saturday Morning Bowling was more popular around these parts than Monday Night Football.
OK, to be precise, it was High Noon Bowling. The candlepin bowling TV show originally called “Fun for All Ages” that ran at noon on Boston’s WHDH Channel 5 was the highest-rated sports program in Massachusetts. It was bigger than the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, Bruins and even the National Football League.
The show, hosted by Don Gillis during its golden years, has been gone for decades, victim of some corporate nerds who did not like the fact that most of the spectators were 40 or older and wore shirts with blue collars.
So those days are gone for good, and candlepin bowling itself has struggled to stay alive. Worcester native Pete Royce grew up with the game and the TV show and is one of many devotees committed to keeping it alive.
Royce has founded a cable TV and online show called “Bowling for Scholars,” all proceeds going to charities. The program is produced at Sparetime Recreation in Whitinsville and can be found on cable systems in Bellingham, Grafton, Mendon, Milford, North Attleboro, Shrewsbury, Upton, Uxbridge and Douglas, with Northbridge in the works.
It is also on the WOON Radio website.
It can be difficult in the 21st-century world to understand how popular candlepin bowling was into, say, the 1990s. The Channel 5 bowlers — and there were plenty from Central Mass. — were local celebrities. They were the kind of athletes of whom you might hear someone say, “You won’t believe who I saw buying work boots at Spag’s last night — Rollie Blondin!”
Royce is 75, a graduate of St. Mary’s High. He grew up on Endicott Street in Worcester, and candlepin bowling on the tube was part of his life.
“It was appointment TV for me and my brother,” he recalled. “It was every Saturday at noon. We would walk up to Coney Island, get two hot dogs with onions, bring‘em back and watch bowling religiously. Every single Saturday at 12 noon, and everybody watched it.”
The most recent installment at Sparetime featured Dan Finn of Franklin versus Rick Kamrowski of Framingham. Finn prevailed, 325-299. The Good Shepherd Nursery School in Medway got a donation of $430, more than expected, because Kamrowski was so disappointed in his score he upped the pot with a $200 donation.
Not to stereotype, but both bowlers are the classic candlepin types.
“I like the frustration,” Finn said. “I’ve been bowling competitively for 12 years, and I’m still not any better,” adding that his high string is a 175.
“I followed that up with an 81,” he recalled.
Kamrowski grew up in New York bowling — can we say this in Central Mass.? — big balls, then moved to Sudbury.
“Every time you think you’ve got this game figured out,” he said, “it cuts you down.”
Why does he like it then?
“I never said I liked it,” Kamrowski replied.
The show is sponsored by Bellingham Cable. There are two matches each month on a 12-show cycle with three rotating categories — adult males, adult females and teenagers. The two bowlers with the highest scores come back for a super rolloff, and there is celebrity bowling.
The upcoming celebrity event is Holy Rollers Night on Oct. 17. It features two pastors, the Rev. Nick Desimone of St. Mary’s in Uxbridge and the Rev. David Mullen of St. Brendan’s in Bellingham. DeSimone will bowl for Our Lady of the Valley School, Mullen for Sparhawk Academy in Millis. That celebrity match is set for 3:30 p.m. Oct. 17.
The scholarship money is donated by local sponsors. None of the participants — bowlers, technical staff, Sparetime— are paid.
Mark Moon is the proprietor of Sparetime and recruits the bowlers.
“They have been very excited to do this for us,” Moon said. “I watch every show, and it is very, very interesting. The men are great, the women outstanding. The kids are a little shy but getting better.”
When Moon was approached by Royce to possibly host the show, it was an easy sell.
“I said bring it here no matter what it takes,” Moon added, “and we’ll figure it out as we go.”
Steve Saraceno does the publicity for the show and credits Royce for coming up with the idea. Growing up, Saraceno was a big fan of the Channel 5 show, and the new program has some of the feel of the legendary one.
“We did some research on the Don Gillis show,” Saraceno said, “and try to duplicate the same angles, the same cutaways; whatever they had in the old black-and-white.”
Tyler James is the technical director.
“It has a personality to it,” he said of TV bowling. “That’s why people watched it on TV for so long. It kind of hooks you. The technology has come a long way. The cameras are all robotic, and I have complete control through the switcher, three different cameras, and we can get any shot we want.
“You should see my fingers moving.”
Royce grew up bowling at 20th Century Lanes in Worcester back when being in a candlepin league was as required as, say, belonging to a church. He has had a long career in broadcasting after graduating from Holy Cross. Royce has been the sports anchor at Channel 3 and done multiple Holy Cross sports and remains active from his base in Bellingham.
“The purpose of this show,” he said, “is to do something to give back to the community because every penny we raise goes back out in scholarships. This is my retirement.”
Or maybe not. Maybe there is no retiring from the lure of candlepin bowling, a sport populated by people who don’t really like it but can’t wait to roll their next string.
Contact Bill Ballou at sports@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @BillBallouTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 'Bowling for Scholars' brings back spirit of beloved candlepin shows, benefits local charities
