HWMO team getting ready for the bocce ball tournament. Photo credit: Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative.
We, at HWMO, like to help our friends out whenever and wherever we can, even if it means facing some of the toughest bocce ball players on the island. On what started as a beautiful sunny day at Anna’s Ranch and concluded with a downpour of rain for the final games on September 10, Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative held its first ever Bocce Ball Tournament fundraiser. Teams from all over the island battled it out for bocce-rolling glory and an amazing cause to preserve and restore the precious native forests of Waikoloa. Bocce, a lawn-bowling game rooted in similar ball games that date all the way back to the Roman Empire, is a game that everyone can enjoy and participate in. However, there are certainly those who rise above the rest in skill and competitiveness.
HWMO's bocce team in its third game fell to a very skilled team, but not without a fight.
HWMO, to support WDFI, put together a team with beginner players from the staff and board: Melissa Kunz, Pablo Beimler, Tom Loomis, and Dave Faucette. After losing in the first game of the double-elimination tournament, HWMO resurged with a victory that came down to inches and could have gone either way. In the third game, however, we were no match for some very skilled players on the opposing team and were thus eliminated. Even though we would have loved to make it further in the tournament, we were quite content with our finish after watching the later rounds and the skill and mastery displayed by the final teams. And, of course, we were happy to support our friends from WDFI and be a part of such a fun event.
If you missed out on the action, you can still support WDFI by visiting: http://waikoloadryforest.org/get-involved/donate
