From Joey Gavrilovich. Follow him on Twitter @joeygDC, email him at joey[AT]borderstan.com.
Stonewall Bocce Logan Circle. (Courtesy Stonewall Bocce)
Thursday nights in Logan Circle are about to get a familiar splash of color. As the Stonewall Bocce league begins its fourth season, more than 190 registered players of the lawn game on 20 teams will be sporting their brightly colored t-shirts and filling the circle each Thursday from now until Memorial Day.
This will be the league’s biggest season in terms of both membership and charitable funds raised since Melvin Thomas and Lucy Cunningham co-founded Stonewall Bocce in 2011.
“We are now in a position to donate more than $5,000 to the winning charities,” said Thomas. Registered members pay $40 in dues at the start of the season, most of which the league collects for charitable donations at the end of the season to the top three teams’ chosen organizations. This season, Thomas reports that the teams are playing for 13 different nonprofit organizations including Food & Friends, Active Minds, Mautner Project, N Street Village and PFLAG (Metro DC).
“When Lucy and I started Stonewall Bocce we wanted to create an inclusive, low-cost, high-fun league with a philanthropic heart. We were thrilled in the first season to be able to donate $2,000 between two local LGBT and Ally friendly non-profits, Whitman Walker Clinic and SMYAL,” said Thomas.
He says word of mouth among players has helped grow the league since then, and with that, the size of charitable contributions made each year: “We feel a strong connection these non-profits and the impact they make on our community. They serve as inspirations to us as we build an inclusive and fun bocce league.”
Stonewall Bocce teams meet during the spring and fall in Logan Circle. For more information about the league, game times, and membership, please visit their website.
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From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
Local residents play bocce in Logan Circle. (Courtesy Stonewall Bocce).
Stonewall Bocce is back for its third season, and registration is now open through August 22. Teams for the LGBTQ and ally community-based league meet once a week for a friendly competition, and to play for a local charity of their choice. Past beneficiaries of previous seasons include Whitman -Walker Health, The DC Center (LGBT center) and Metro Teen AIDS, among others.
The Details on Stonewall Bocce
- The league has a maximum of 18 teams (about 8 players on each team) and the teams meet Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm for a game of bocce.
- Post-game celebrations/weekly socials are held at Nellie’s Sports Bar at 9th and U Streets NW.
- The season begins September 6 and goes through November 1.
- It costs $40 to join the league during early registration (August 13-15), $45 during open registration (August 15- 20) and $50 during late registration (August 20-22).
- Skipped the bocce lesson day in high school P.E.? Don’t worry – the league hosts a Bocce 101 Clinic on Thursday, September 6 at 6 pm.
Registration is available online. For more information on Stonewall Bocce, visit the league’s Facebook page or follow the league on Twitter (@Stonewallbocce).
The Stonewall Bocce League will play games on Thursdays from March 29 through May 24 in Logan Circle. (Courtesy Stonewall Bocce)
From Scott Leibowitz. Find Scott on Twitter @Lebodome. Email him at scott[at]borderstan.com.
Thanks to global warming making this the third warmest winter in DC history, the warm rays and the spring activities are coming back soon. Not too many better ways to start it out then some authentic outdoor bocce right in the middle of Borderstan. Registration has just opened up for the Stonewall Bocce League in Logan Circle. Just because you aren’t playing kickball doesn’t mean you have to miss out on an outdoor league that involves throwing balls, drinking and casual fun.
Here are some of the details. Borderstan asked Eric Schwarz of Stonewall Bocce about the fact that the games are actually played in Logan Circle.
Not familiar with the Stonewall Bocce League? It is an “LGBTQ & Ally community-based, non-profit sports league that strives to raise funds for local non-profit organizations. Our league values each player for who they are and what they bring to the league’s community,” according to the organization. Last year, the league raised $2,000 for local LGBTQ charities.
The league is at night so they use glow-in-the-dark balls… clever. Check it out, enjoy the weather, and pick a clever, yet dirty team name.
League Details
- Game Days: Thursdays
- Times: Games start at 6:30 pm
- Location: Logan Circle, one block east of 14th and P Streets NW.
- Spring 2012 Dates: March 29 through May 24
- Playoff Game Dates: May 19 and May 24
- Teams Sizes: 6 to 10 players; 8 players recommended
- Returning Player Early Registration: Monday March 5 through Wednesday, March 7 ($35)
- New Player Early Registration: Thursday, March 8 through Friday, March 9 ($40)
- Open Registration: Saturday March 10 through Wednesday, March 14 ($45)
- How to become a team? When players sign up, they should choose a group to join or create a group. When a group reaches 6 players (paid and approved), the group will be promoted to team status. The first 18 groups to get 6 players become teams in the season. Groups that do not advance to the 18 teams will be placed in free agent status for selection.
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