Bocce ‘until someone falls down’
‘Ridgefield 8’ aims for GuinnessWorld Record
RIDGEFIELD — A team of locals — known as The Ridgefield 8 — will compete to break the Guinness World Record title for the longest marathon playing bocce team.
The team is gearing up to top the previous record of 32 hours and four minutes of sending hefty, multicolored balls skittering along a bocce court.
The lawn bowling game has ancient roots in Italy but may go all the way back 5,000 years to Egypt, where competitors allegedly hurled polished rocks around.
“Bocce is one of the world's oldest sports and is a
great way to bring a community together,” said First Selectman Rudy Marconi. “It is going to be a challenge for the Ridgefield 8, but I have no doubt that they will persevere. Please join me in supporting our bocce team.”
To abide by the Guinness World Record title for the longest playing bocce team, it will take all eight bocce players to pull off the marathon. The Ridgefield 8 are Mark Blandford, Bill Diamond, Chris Forsyth, Brendan Kenny, Jeff Levi, Kyle Morehouse, Kristian Ording and Mike Rosella.
The game begins Friday, June 21, at 7 a.m. and the team plans to break the record at about 3 p.m. Saturday — or “until somebody falls down,” notes the group’s www.ridgefield8.com website.
They have to play for the entire time and are allowed only a five-minute break every hour, which they could save and stack into longer breaks.
The competition comes with a cause.
They are raising money to support two local charities: The Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield and Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue (ROAR).
“We love Ridgefield, we love the game of bocce and we are a competitive group of guys, which is why we are excited to break the Guinness World Record title for the longest marathon playing bocce team,” said Blandford, a 14-year Ridgefield resident. “It will be physically demanding. However, we are all committed to doing this and we are asking the community for support by coming to the game and cheering us on so we can make Ridgefield proud and raise important funds for our amazing town.”
The game location is at the bocce court at Ancona’s Wines & Liquors parking lot at 720 Branchville Road, Ridgefield.
The family event will offer music, food, refreshments and bounce castles for the kids beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Volunteers are needed to serve as witnesses and referees, along with helpers to keep the team fed and hydrated throughout the event.
Anyone interested in the event should contact Jennifer Forsyth at jena1010@gmail.com.
For information and to donate, visit www.ridgefield8.com.
“We are extremely grateful to the Ridgefield 8 team for thinking of the Boys & Girls Club and generously allowing some of the donations of the bocce competition to go directly to helping the young people of Ridgefield achieve a great future,” said Mike Flynn, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club. “Good luck to the Ridgefield 8 and we will be there with our volunteers to cheer you on during the marathon game!”