Community Corner

Bocce Bash Benefits Veteran Whose Home Was Damaged by Sandy

Cake Boss to make an appearance at fifth annual Anthony Fasano Foundation Bocce Bash Saturday in Verona Park.

The fifth annual Anthony Fasano Foundation Bocce Bash returns to Verona Park Saturday.

Starting at 9 a.m., 24 teams will compete in the double-elimination tournament for trophies, gift cards and bragging rights. 

The community is welcome to enjoy a Frank Sinatra impersonator, a children’s zone and the many food vendors who will be on hand during the all-day tournament.

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Among the competitors will be Anthony Fasano, the Kansas Chiefs tight end and Verona native.

Proceeds from the event will be donated to Rebuilding Together: Veterans Housing to help a New Jersey vet whose home was damaged by Superstorm Sandy. Ed Abbate, of Little Ferry, served as a Tactical Navigation System Specialist in the Air Force from 1978 to 1987.

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“They didn’t have flood insurance so they really have been struggling,” explained Pat Capra, director of the Anthony Fasano Foundation.

The flood water was salty and corrosive so the replacement of the electrical system and the furnace are the most important repairs needed at the home.

“I have always wanted to do an event that benefits military families,” Fasano said in a release. “It was particularly difficult being out of the area during Hurricane Sandy, I felt helpless. With this year’s Bocce Bash we are able to both, help a military family and one who was affected by Sandy. I am so happy that we can accomplish this goal with support of friends and family in my hometown of Verona."

Highlights of the tournament include an appearance by Cake Boss Buddy Valastro, who will donate one of his special cakes and try his hand at bocce.

Fasano, who reportedly loves to play bocce, will also be looking to reclaim the championship title which he and his team claimed the first year of the tournament, but never since.

The tournament will begin around 9:15 a.m. after a brief presentation. Winners are expected to be crowned between 4 and 5 p.m.

T-shirts and water will be sold to raise money for the Rebuilding Together effort and donations will be accepted at the event.

To learn more or make an online donation, visit AnthonyFasanoFoundation.org.

The Anthony Fasano Foundation along with dozens of volunteer workers and contractors partnered with Essex County in 2012 to build four brand new bocce courts in Verona Park. The courts serve as a new permanent home for the annual Bocce Bash. 

 


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