Bocce fans roll one for the troops
Invitational tournament's proceeds will pay for care packages for troops

By KARA L. RICHARDSON
Staff Writer

       FRANKLIN (SOMERSET) -- Hundreds of people rolled out support for U.S. troops by playing bocce all day Sunday at Colonial Park.

       The first annual Bocce Invitational Tournament -- Operation Shoebox's new, signature fundraiser -- helps the organization box and ship supplies to troops serving overseas.

       About 30 four-member teams participated. Some players came from as far as Florida. The winning team was Rompi Palle, a group of friends including Andy Cozzi of the Somerset section of Franklin, Frank Dolce of Sparta, Jon Ferrante of Roxbury and Dom Fadrazio of Denville.

       The aim of bocce is to roll a ball (each of the four players gets two) as close as possible to a smaller ball, called a "pallina." The players' expertise Sunday ranged from Joe DaMato of North Brunswick, who grew up playing bocce in the town square in Salerno, Italy, to his friend and teammate, Anthony Stazzone of Bernardsville, whose relative took out the bocce set at family gatherings.

       "The game promotes family and friendship," Stazzone said about the game, an Italian-American tradition.

       The event also broke in Colonial Park's eight new bocce courts, which were completed about two weeks ago, said Cindie Sullivan, a Somerset County Park Commission spokeswoman. The crushed stone courts are between the park's rose gardens and perennial gardens.

       Special guests such as former New Jersey Devils left winger Rob Skrlac and defenseman Tommy Albelin got a crash course in bocce. Rutgers football players Keith Taylor, Brian Tracey, Corey Hyman and Jamaal Westerman also got into the game.

       "The first game was a warm-up," Tracey said a few moments before he rolled a ball just inches from the pallina, to the dismay of his opponents -- Montclair-area friends Frank Vecchione, Mike Caggiano, George Falco and Italian Tribune publisher Buddy Fortunato.

       "I could take this up," Taylor said. It's relaxing, not as intense as football."

       Phil Ferrari, the U.S. singles bocce champion and founder of the World Bocce League, supervised the judging. In bocce circles, he's known as America's Mr. Bocce.

       Volunteer Frank Valanzola, event organizer and Rod Hirsch, Operation Shoebox founder and executive director, said players paid $100 to participate in the tournament. Event proceeds will pay for the mailing of boxes of supplies to soldiers.

       As the game rolled on, volunteers packed 900 boxes for soldiers and Marines. The boxes contained snacks, lip balm, toiletries, writing pads and batteries.

       Hirsch said that brings the total number of Operation Shoebox packages to about 11,100 since the organization's founding in 2005.

       This story appeared in The Courier News June 4, 2007