D.C. Bocce Starts League in NoMa Today
Washington, D.C., April 4, 2013 – Did you know that you can play bocce in NoMa? Games for the spring league start today, April 4! Brand-new bocce courts were constructed in the plaza behind 1200 First Street, NE. NoMa residents and employees alike are excited to get the Thursday night games rolling, which will held behind the CVS at First and M Streets, NE.
“We are thrilled that DC Bocce has come to the neighborhood, and are excited that this new league will bring a fun after-work activity to both NoMa residents and office workers,” said Robin-Eve Jasper, NoMa BID President. “Bocce is a wonderful way for people to connect with one another and the neighborhood.”
DC Bocce will partner with Todd Gray’s Watershed for happy hour specials each Thursday evening. DC Bocce League Participants will enjoy $4 pints of Peroni and Blue Moon in addition to $5 bar snacks and discounted flatbreads before and after games.
“This project makes so much sense for us. Our headquarters are located in Northeast, and bocce can serve as a great anchor for building community,” said Rachael Preston, DC Bocce League founder and bocce aficionado. Registration for the new NoMa Division is closed for the spring season, but will open for the summer season on May 13 and for the fall seasons on August 12. Players are welcome to create a team, join an existing team or sign up as individuals. Visit www.dcbocce.com for details about the season and to sign up.
When official bocce league games are not in session, the bocce courts will be available for use by the public! All NoMa residents, office workers, community members, and visitors are invited to bring their own sets of bocce balls or golf putting gear to the space and utilize it when the official games are not in session on Thursday nights. The courts are made of padded astro turf and are enclosed by wooden boards, so that balls will not roll away. Thank you to Principal Financial Group and Polinger Shannon & Luchs for all of your help and support in making these courts a reality.
Founded in 2004, DC Bocce and their sister company, Major League Bocce, are now an established home grown enterprise that continue to experience tremendous growth each year of their operation. Today, DC Bocce and Major League Bocce host over 7,500 active members playing bocce year-round and play in eight cities on the east cost. Tonight marks the opening of a new NoMa division as part of D.C. Bocce’s Premier League at the corner of First and M Streets, NE.
The opportunity to play bocce in NoMa has provided DC Bocce League a new chance to implement their philosophy of fun, light-hearted competition blended with the extra value of giving back to the community. A commitment to charitable giving is one of the founding tenants of this recreational organization. Within this framework, the winners of each division of DC Bocce are awarded a donation to the charity of their choice. Over the past eight years, DC Bocce and Major League Bocce have donated over $100,000 to charities on the behalf of league members.
The NoMa Business Improvement District organizes and manages more than 50 free events a year, including the 13-week outdoor film series NoMa Summer Screen; 13 weeks of lunchtime and evening concerts for Rhythm in NoMa; four Tuesday evening kid-centered movie nights in our Family Film Series; a pumpkin carving; and more. NoMa BID is also sponsoring a NoMa Bike To Work Day pit stop in the plaza at 1200 First Street, NE, on May 11; and the third year of the Met Branch Trail 5k on May 17.
About the NoMa neighborhood
NoMa is a vibrant, growing neighborhood north of Union Station and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. In the last seven years, private developers have invested more than $5 billion in the 35-block areas in the NoMa BID boundary, and have plans to develop more than 20 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, and retail space. NoMa is now home to 45,000 daytime workers, with 4.5 million SF leased in the last 4.5 years. More than 3,500 apartments have been recently completed or are under construction. NoMa has 13 modes of transportation, including two Red Line Metro stops, and the best biking facilities in D.C., with the only East Coast Bikestation, the 8-mile Metropolitan Branch Trail, and access to nine Capital Bikeshare stations. NoMa is the most connected neighborhood in Washington, D.C. The NoMa BID organizes more than 50 free community events each year to connect friends and neighbors. For more information about NoMa, visit nomabid.wpengine.com and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter. Follow us on Twitter @NoMaBID and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nomabid.
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For immediate release
News media contact: Rachel Davis
202-997-3846