Fourth Annual Bocce Festival Saturday Will Benefit the Samaritans on Cape Cod

The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands hope to roll up $6,000 in fundraising to go towards their programing needs this weekend with their fourth annual Upper Cape Bocce Festival.

Twenty-six teams of four will take to the fields at on Saturday afternoon (with a Sunday raindate) to compete in the Italian lawn bowling game. The event raised $5,000 last year, and organizers expect even more support this year.

Corporate and individual sponsorships help cover the costs of the tournament, allowing the Samaritans to keep the tournament both affordable ($140 for a foursome, $40 to be placed on a team as an individual) and profitable.

"We benefit from the fact that a lot of prices and prizes are covered by sponsorships," said Peter Clark, who organizes the tournament for the Samaritans. That allows the organization to keep most of the money earned from raffle tickets and beer and wine sales.

Corporate sponsors include Cape Cod Beer, which stocks the event's cash bar, Pepsi Cola Bottling Company, who provide soft drinks, and Aubuchon Hardware, who offer several gift cards up as raffle prizes. TJ Maxx, the Enterprise News, and PGM Landscapes make cash donations to the fundraiser, as do individuals who support the cause of the Samaritans.

Clark originally saw support for the sport when it was offered for non-golfers at the Samaritans' annual golf tournament. Being a game that can be easily picked up and understood, he said, it made sense to build a fundraiser around it as it could attract a large number of players.

Bocce also appealed, Clark said, because tournaments are seldom seen on the Cape.

"It had a uniqueness to it," he said.

But despite the fact that newcomers are welcome, the tournament also attracts its aficionados. Chris O'Toole, 23, has competed in bocce leagues and tournaments in and around Boston and has made the trip from Waltham to Falmouth for two years. He enjoys the tournament both for its atmosphere and its competition, he said.

"I especially like this tournament because there's a lot of nice people and friendly competition," O'Toole said. "There's also a lot of experienced bocce players to watch and pick up tips from. And that it's for charity is great, too."

This will be the third year the tournament has been held at Falmouth Academy. Tucker Clark, FA's public relations director, said it has "worked out well for both [the school] and [the Samaritans]."

"When we can, we like to have other non-profits who we support use our buildings and grounds," she said.

Bocce is played either on grass or gravel by two opposing teams who roll large balls towards a smaller ball, called the pelino. Whichever team is closer to the pelino at the end of the round collects points, based on how many balls they have closer than their opposition.

The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands offer a hotline and an outreach program for the lonely, depressed and suicidal. Money raised from the tournament will support these programs.