EVERETT — Amid the whoops and cheers, the news of everyday life is shared.
On Monday morning, it included the marriage of a daughter, an update from a doctor’s appointment and the passing of a friend.
This particular gathering started at 9 a.m. with coffee, tea and small white plates of lemon meringue pie.
More than two dozen Everett-area seniors get together regularly to go bowling at the Carl Gipson Senior Center. Their league is a little different, though: They bowl using a video game called “Wii Sports.” Each person uses a handheld remote to mimic the movement of throwing a ball down the lane.
The teammates range in age from late fifties to mid-nineties, and about half have some sort of disability, said Linda Lachapelle, league coordinator and senior center volunteer. The game helps with depression and with post-injury rehabilitation, she said.
“I love it here. I love my people,” she said. “We’re just like family.”
Some time ago, the team started using a poster and star-shaped stickers to keep track of who had bowled perfect games. That hit a snag for Gary Haddenham, 61. He’s gotten so good, they had to introduce a larger star sticker to represent every 10 times he bowled a 300.
It’s all coordination, he said. “I just set myself up and throw the ball, and it hits the pocket,” he said.
Haddenham lives nearby and often relies on a wheelchair or walker to get around. After 40-plus years of underground utility work, his back simply gave out for good, he said.
He’s the tech-savvy one, setting up the games. Phill Thompson called for his help Monday.
“Where’s Gary? Let Gary set the darn thing up,” Thompson said. “I just screw it up.”
Within the game, Haddenham and Lachapelle make avatars for each player, modifying haircolor and style, and adding glasses and other details to create passing resemblances. And yes, there are plenty of white and gray heads on the screen.
The team plays folks from other senior centers and community groups.
Gentle joshing followed Monday’s missed splits and bungled attempts at picking up spares: “A little speed.” “Show us that leg kick again.” “Take a breath.”
Everyone likes to call out “HO HUM” when Haddenham gets a strike. Anyone getting a turkey — three strikes in a row — prompts a group-wide victory dance.
Everybody in the league supports each other, weathering sickness and loss, Lachapelle said. They have an annual picnic, monthly birthday celebrations and a group Christmas dinner, usually at the Golden Corral.
“What they all come for is fun,” she said.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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