Bowlers rally to help Layton strike out cancer

Allen Layton went in for hernia surgery after Thanksgiving and came out facing Stage 2 lymphoma.

The 42-year-old father of three will not go through it alone, however. His many friends and former students from the Princeton bowling community are rallying around him.

They will be hosting the “Haulin’ for a Cure” outing in Layton’s honor on March 31, starting out, naturally, at Crown Lanes for some bowling, and then on to Hundred Acre Orchard for dinner, auctions and a dance.

All proceeds will go to benefit Layton, the longtime junior bowling instructor at Crown Lanes, and help him strike out his cancer.

“It’s amazing what they’re doing, for the little I know about it. I keep hearing more and more each day,” Layton said. “You can say I probably have the best family and friends in the whole world.”

Randy Allen, a lifelong friend who has coached the junior bowlers with Layton, said it was an easy decision to make to go to bat for Layton.

“That’s the only thing we should do,” he said. “He’s inspired a lot of kids. He’s been a staple to them.”

On a personal level, Randy Allen noted, “We’ve been in that bowling alley since we were babies in the same crib out there.”

Layton is halfway through chemo treatments and the prognosis is very good. The spots that were inflamed on lymph nodes are shrinking.

“It’s been quite a roller-coaster since December,” said Layton, who is relying on not only his friends and family, but his faith to make it through.

Through it all, Layton has kept on bowling with juniors, his kids away from home, whom he says are probably one of his highest priorities right next to his own kids.

“Every one of them is amazing. They all have their own personalities. It’s hilarious,” he said. “It’s been a long time, but I enjoy every minute of it.”

It seems these days, those juniors are coming back to haunt him at the bowling alley, routinely beating the old mentor at his own game, proteges like Randy Dalrymple, Layton’s oldest former junior and J.T. Dant, two recent Princeton Masters champions.