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In This Issue:
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Vol. X, Issue 1 - January 3, 2011
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Notes from the publisher
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Bocce product of the week
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Bocce news and readers' feedback...
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Non bocce product of the week
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The weekly Ezine for bocce aficionados everywhere
Volume 10, Issue #1 - January 3, 2011
Publisher: Mario Pagnoni Copyright 2011
76 Emsley Terrace, Methuen, MA 01844
http://www.joyofbocce.com (vm 800-211-1202 ext 4949)
Happy New Year Bocce Gang,
This issue of the Joy of Bocce Weekly kicks off our 10th year of publishing the ezine. If you go to the Joy of Bocce website and click on Back Issues, you'll see nine years worth of them archived there. Time flies when you're having bocce!
At this time of year I usually do an issue that serves as a kind of Year in Review, but I've decided to forego that this time around and just say that things are still progressing, with the game still growing at a constant pace. On the other hand - still no big time TV coverage. We'll see what 2011 brings.
I've spent some time working on video with my son James who has considerable expertise in that arena. Check out the photos of the week which also include a short YouTube video describing a new measuring device. I think you might like it!
Fasten your seatbelts for Joy of Bocce Weekly year #10!
Stay close and always be up front,
Mario Pagnoni (The Bocce Guy)
Note: Please add joyofbocce@topica.email-publisher.com to your whitelist or address book in your e-mail program, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Also, click "Confirm" at the end of this ezine to further ensure consistent delivery.
Did a friend send you this? Sign up to get your own here - http://www.joyofbocce.com/feedback.ivnu - it's entertaining, useful, and complimentary.
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{Publisher's comments in brackets}
First item on the agenda - you gotta check out the two-minute video my son James and I created and posted on YouTube. It shows how a new measuring device retailed by Playaboule works. I had no idea how much work was involved in producing such a short video. Thank heaven for offspring with hi-tech savvy! Thanks Jim!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY2snYttZyM
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Bocce Guy's Plans for 2011
I'm just gonna keep at it. My dad used to say "If you hit the nail on the head enough times, sooner or later it goes into the wood." I'm gonna keep swinging with the weekly ezine, the web site, more videos, maybe get more active on Facebook/Twitter, etc.
In addition, I think my book is the game's best promotion tool available today. I need to put a lot more effort into getting it into bookstores, gift shops, sporting goods stores, etc. I wonder if any bocce ball retailers would consider including it with each set of balls sold?
Also, I need to focus on getting an article about the sport published in a major market magazine. I used to do a lot of freelance writing years ago. When I got away from it I quickly lost all my contacts, so getting a foot in the door is not as easy as it once was. It'll take a lot more swings of the hammer.
Anyway, this is a labor of love as they say. I love this game. I love it in the backyard on the lawn, on fast courts, slow courts, carpeted courts, polyurethane resin surfaces...whatever. I love open rules with whatever rule variations you want to play by. I love punto raffa volo too and, if I ever learn how to point on those courts at the Palazzo and Campo di Bocce, I might even be dangerous.
I've been retired for 10 years, playing softball, basketball, and bocce, running bocce events everywhere and basically living life large. All my friends want my lifestyle. Still, if someone opened a quality bocce facility hereabouts and wanted to hire me as "Director of Bocce Operations" - that would be the only job I'd ever consider. Imagine going to work, teaching newbies how to play, running leagues, parties and outings, playing bocce every day, schmoozing with everybody who walks through the door (I'm a world class schmoozer - there's nobody better!). Now that's a job!
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New York's Guy DeSantis sends this...
"This year the Yonkers/Mount Vernon Bocce Club is planning more tournaments than ever. Our first tournament is our Winter Classic on Saturday, January 29th starting at 8:00 AM. This is a 4 person team, double elimination event.
Due to time restriction I can ONLY accept the first 12 teams to register.
This is a USBF sanctioned tournament. Every participant must be a registered 2011 USBF member.
Participants without a membership card MUST register prior to the start of the tournament.
The cost for first time members is $5.00 and $15.00 for returning members (this is a separate charge and does NOT include the entrance fee for the tournament).
The entrance fee for the tournament is $30.00 per person and includes food and beverage.
Please respond ASAP with your team or individual information." Contact yonkersbocce@aol.com .
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Last issue Mike Delucchi who devised the Bocce Caddy ( http://www.Joyofbocce.com/Bocce_Caddy.ivnu ) wrote asking for help with charity bocce events...
{I responded...Bocce is a natural for fund-raising. Allow me to ramble on for a while...
It is reasonably easy to make what I call "small money". For example, we often get high school sports teams that want to make $1000 or so to purchase equipment. We can do that pretty easily by getting the parents to enter teams and we are always able to attract other teams from the area.
To make "big money" is another matter. To make the big bucks you need those associated with the charity to do a lot of the ground work. We can offer the platform - the bocce program, equipment, referees, etc., but someone else has to "hustle" to bring in the sponsors.
You can bring in bucks by...
* attracting as many teams as possible
What you will charge per person depends on what the participants will get for their money. In charity events, most people are fine with having a fun day of bocce, helping the cause, and maybe getting an inexpensive prize if they happen to win.
In a recent fund-raiser they had teams of 4 players paying $25 each. The players got a continental breakfast and a very nice lunch, but no prizes and everyone knew the money was going to charity. Still. I would have charged $40 or $50 per person. You'll also have to see "what the going rate" is in your area for bocce tourneys. Our annual Martignetti Family Charity Bocce Tournament raises more than $30,000 each year during a one-day event. Players pay $100 per person to play on a team. Visit http://www.joyofbocce.com/MFCBT.ivnu .
* selling sponsorships (signage) for each court in use (e.g. "Team Yankees and Red Sox report to the Dunkin Donuts court.")
* getting a large donor to underwrite the entire event - the problem with this is that you almost always have to be an IRS 501-C3 non-profit to get the big bucks (tax write-off). My non-profit group is a 501-C4 which means contributions are not tax deductible. The person who was going to donate a couple hundred bucks might still do so, but the one who was going to spring for $5000 or more won't.
* running a closest to the pallino contest
* offering traditional fund-raising ideas like auctions, silent auctions, raffles, etc.
Experienced fund-raisers try to identify say, two people who might make a contribution of $5000, five who might make a contribution of $2500, ten who might give $1000 and etc. down the line until they hit their fund-raising goal. This is an ambitious task - in this economy an extremely ambitious task.
One of the very smart things the Martignetti family does is to invite relatives of the person for whom the charity is named to appear at the event, maybe even play in the tourney, and speak to the players about how the foundation operates. Everybody at the event WANTS to be a part of it because they know how IMPORTANT it is and what a GOOD and DECENT thing it is to be a part of. So many of the same faces show up year in and year out.
Don't forget - there are expenses too, like facility rental, lunch, awards, signage, etc.}
Mitchie from USABocce.com added this from his experience...
"Here is some information that you may want to pass on to Mike Delucchi for fundraising a bocce tournament. For my first Special Olympics tournament last year I wrote to the local professional teams for items to give away in a silent auction. They usually always send one item. I ran a 50/50 at each qualifying bracket and the championship bracket. I also did the sign sponsorship and had 20 local businesses represented for a $100 donation. The signs were placed all around the courts. I also had one major sponsor and charged him $1000. His sign was very large and visible at the event. Mr. Delucchi can also collect prizes from the local retailers to present to the winners instead of trophies or used at the silent auction.
This year the tournament will be held at the Croatians club indoor bocce facility. They have food and beverages and are going to donate a percentage of sales to the Special Olympics.
I would love to have you attend the event to play and bring some books to sign."
{Hey Mitch - I'm IN! See you in June. Any other readers with good ideas for fundraising with bocce please REPLY.}
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Fielded a couple questions about protecting bocce courts from the elements. Check this page out that is posted on the Joy of Bocce under Bocce Tidbits - http://www.joyofbocce.com/raincover.ivnu
If that doesn't do the trick, check out this one, also posted under Bocce Tidbits - http://www.joyofbocce.com/Water_Fix.ivnu
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Ben Musolf sends notice for the 2011 United States Bocce Championships.
PRESS RELEASE
http://www.JoyofBocce.com/filecabinet/Ezines/2011NatioanlChampionshipsPressRelease.pdf
SUPPORT THE EVENT BY TAKING AN AD
http://www.JoyofBocce.com/filecabinet/Ezines/2011AdFormNationals.pdf
INFO - 5 PAGE PDF
http://www.JoyofBocce.com/filecabinet/Ezines/2011NationalChampionshipRegistrationandEventNative.pdf
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USBF NEWS
NOW YOU CAN REGISTER OR RENEW ON LINE AT THE USBF's UPDATED WEBSITE
We should all be card carrying members. Every club should be affiliated. For the sport to gain the attention it needs we need to boast of many thousands of members. Download a USBF Membership Application here:
http://www.joyofbocce.com/filecabinet/Ezines/USBF_membership_pdf.pdf . or
REGISTER/RENEW ON LINE AT http://www.Bocce.com }
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Merchandise still available at joyofbocce.com
Check out the first-rate equipment we offer. The finest measuring devices for bocce (made in UK by Prohawk for lawn bowling, petanque, and bocce) - the finest bocce balls in the world (made in Italy by Perfetta) and the number one selling instructional book on bocce in America - Check them out.
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