Janice Mcintyre was great at knocking pins down — but she was even better at picking people up.
Mcintyre, an avid bowler and Jaffrey resident, died last fall after being stricken suddenly by a blood clot. Last weekend, her friends and family came together for a bowling fundraiser in her honor to raise money for her favorite charity, Santa’s House.
“It meant a lot to her to donate to those children,” said her sister, Kimberly, “because she knew how much Christmastime meant to children and she just wanted to help as many as she could.”
Kimberly was just one of dozens who turned out to Saturday’s event at Bowling Acres, Mcintyre’s home away from home.
“We’d be down here two or three nights a week,” said Deb Roy, one of Mcintyre’s longtime friends. The two met at a bowling tournament and hit it off; they’d eventually become doubles partners and compete on the tournament circuit. Mcintyre and Roy won the New Hampshire state championship as a team, and Mcintyre took home an individual title and Rookie of the Year honors as well.
Ten teams turned out for Saturday’s event, a fitting tribute to a lady who found her peace on the lanes.
“This is just an incredible event for her memory,” said Janice’s longtime partner, Eric Cabana. The two met while working at N.E.B.S. and shared their lives, traveling around the country to watch the New England sports teams – Red Sox, Patriots and so on – compete.
Between the tournament entries, raffles and donations, the fundraiser tournament raised over $1,600 for Santa’s House, ensuring a wonderful Christmas for some local children.
“She would be probably have tears of joy at seeing all of this,” Kimberly said.
“And,” Roy added, “she would probably hate us for putting her on the spot. She was never that type. Although when you put her on the lane, she was a totally different person. She was a bowler.”