Shay bowling tourney returns soon

AMESBURY — Pins will fall, pizza will be devoured, and a local hero will be remembered when the Sgt. Jordan M. Shay Memorial Foundation hosts its 13th annual bowling tournament early next month.

“It is growing every year and that makes me very happy,” said Holly Shay, Jordan Shay’s mother and the foundation’s president.

The foundation was established to honor the last wishes of Jordan Shay, a 2005 graduate of Amesbury High School and U.S. Army sergeant killed in Iraq during his second deployment in 2009.

The event will be held May 2 at 5 p.m. at Gametime Lanes & Entertainment, 84 Haverhill Road.

“It’s just such a fun time. So many people come out, they get to bowl and do ax throwing. Just seeing everybody getting together in honor of Jordan’s legacy is always very heartwarming and reminds us a lot of our friend who we lost,” event co-organizer Colleen Toomey said.

Winning the tournament won’t be easy considering the number of teams ready to bowl their hearts out.

Dozens of teams have signed up to participate for the tournament.

“This year, we have 36 teams,” Holly Shay said.

Due to the number of teams, they altered their format a bit.

“Typically, teams would do one string of candlepin, and one string of tenpin, and we combine the scores. But this year, because we had extra teams, there’s also a tenpin tournament,” Holly Shay said.

Many familiar faces are expected this year, as well as some new additions.

“We have our usual bankers, real estate companies, you know, but we also have some memorial foundations,” Holly Shay said.

A first-time addition to the festivities will be a team from the Newburyport Fire Department

“It’s nice to see it cross over the river,” Holly Shay said, referring to the Merrimack River.

The event usually brings in more than $20,000 each year according to Holly Shay, with last year’s tilt garnering over $31,000. The winner of the last year’s tournament was team Hawaiian Rolls, entered by Eric Vichill, ending a long streak held by the Amesbury Fire Department.

“It’s our biggest and only fundraiser. So, that funds all of the scholarships that we award to Amesbury High School graduates, it funds all of our veterans programs, and then it also funds grants for teachers,” Holly Shay said.

With the event drawing in more teams each year, Shay said it meant the world to have the community’s continued support in honoring her son’s legacy.

“The fact that he’s not here is utterly devastating. But the fact that people refuse to forget him and refuse to forget his sacrifice keeps me going,” Holly Shay said.

Fire Chief Jim Nolan, a board member for the foundation, shared a tease for the event.

“I have spoken to someone that will be opening the event with an awesome rendition of “’The Star-Spangled Banner,’” Nolan said.

There will also be a variety of raffles and prizes being given away, with raffles open to the public beginning at 3 p.m.

Matt Petry covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: mpetry@northofboston.com.