PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles’ Laurel Lanes, part of the community for 60 years, is asking for community support to keep the business alive during its prolonged COVID-19 shutdown.
Laurel Lanes has started a GoFundMe campaign to keep the 60-year-old business alive during this crisis. The stated goal is $50,000 and, after three days, has already raised about $9,000 from 122 donors who have given as much as $1,000 (which was an anonymous donation).
Laurel Lanes has been owned and operated by 84-year-old Vern Elkhart since 1966. His daughter Crystal Dare is the co-operator.
The business was shut down in March by Gov. Jay Inslee’s order closing many business to combat the spread of COVID-19. It was allowed to partially reopen for a few weeks this fall, but was recently closed by another Inslee order in November that specifically listed bowling alleys. That order Tuesday was extended to Jan. 4 as Washington’s COVID-19 infection rate remains high.
With barely any revenue at all this year, the business is asking for the community to chip in to keep it going.
Dare said the response so far “has been awesome. It’s overwhelming the support from the community.”
Dare said that despite the bowling alley being closed, there are still lots of utility bills and property taxes to be paid. She said the lights to the business need to be kept on to help protect it from break-ins.
The $50,000 was picked because the owners at this point simply have no idea when Laurel Lanes will be able to reopen. Inslee already extended the closure order once and it’s possible he may extend it again after Jan. 4.
“We just don’t know how long it will be closed,” Dare said. “We hope we can get open. They keep pushing it back and back.”
Cindy Perry, whose father was friends with Elkhart, started up the GoFundMe campaign Friday.
To donate, people can go online to tinyurl.com/LaurelLanesHelp.
The campaign states in part:
“We survived the summer lockdown…barely. We were only able to open for one month at very limited capacity until this latest lockdown. Which, let’s face it, will most likely last longer than four weeks. We won’t survive it. Even with the small business loans. We have already seen many other bowling centers have to close their doors for good. I’m asking our community to help prevent that from happening to Laurel Lanes.
One of the things I love about our community is its ability to rally. This town’s citizens have answered the call many times to help those in need. Well folks, I’m sending out the call. I’m asking you to rally.”
“I grew up living at the bowling alley,” Perry said Tuesday. “It’s the only family entertainment in town other than the swimming pool.’ That’s particularly true with the Deer Park Cinemas also shut down by Inslee’s latest ruling.
Perry said Laurel Lanes not only has a long history of hosting birthday parties for kids, it’s also hosted Special Olympics events.
Perry said she works with the developmentally disabled and Laurel Lanes is a “safe place” for the disabled and for families in general.
“It’s a place they can go and have fun. It’s a second home for a lot of them,” she said. “Laurel Lanes is a staple of our community.”
