Come play bocce with the police chiefs

BY JOSEPH PICARD
SPARTA — The police chiefs of Sussex County have, as a unit, ventured into new territory. Bocce.
That storied game of balls that came to America with the Italians, and is now played throughout the country, will for the first time be the main event at the Sussex County Association of Police Chiefs’ annual fundraiser, appropriately named Bocce & Brew 2016, to be held on Thursday, September 22 at the Mohawk House in Sparta.
The chiefs, deputy chiefs and officers in charge from the county’s municipalities, as well as representatives from the county prosecutor’s office, the county’s sheriff’s office, the New Jersey State Police and federal law enforcement will welcome attendees to the bocce courts outside the hilltop restaurant for an evening of food, drink, fun and games. Proceeds will go to funding in-service training programs for officers throughout the county.
These programs provide police officers with state-of-the art instruction in significant areas like, for example, responding to an active shooter or coordinating a full security response across several municipalities, or training in properly administering lie detector tests, or participating in the county’s CLEAR program to combat opiate abuse.
“We’re a small county,” said Byram Police Chief Peter Zabita. “We all know each other. Officers from the county’s various towns all train together. It brings the officers and the departments closer together, which increases safety for everyone concerned.”
Newton Police Chief Michael Richards concurred. “It is important for officers from different towns to train together because we are going to be backing each other up.”
The Mohawk House and First Hope Bank are sponsoring the event.
“At the Mohawk House we like to do things differently and to do them right,” said the restaurant’s owner Steve Scro. “This evening is going to be a big success. There will be bocce, and brews, soda and comfort foods like wood-fire pizzas. We are always supportive of our law enforcement officers and all the good they do. It’s going to be a great time.”
“Steve has always been a good friend to the police and we at First Hope Bank are supportive as well,” said Donald Somma, bank president and CEO. “We are going to make a sizable donation to the police chiefs’ association and provide them with a trophy for the bocce tournament.”
The bank, which has Sussex County branches in Sparta and Andover, is also making tickets to Bocce & Brew 2016 available at its branches.
In the past the chiefs had held an annual golf outing but they decided to try something different this year.
“We brainstormed and came up with bocce,” said Andover Township Police Chief Eric Danielson. “It was my idea. I got into the game because friends were short on a weekly team league they play in at Mohawk House. So the opportunity opened up to sub from time to time and I found I really enjoy the game.”
Danielson said that, because playing bocce is a new experience for the fundraiser, the chiefs are not imposing a structured tournament, at least for this year’s play.
“Just show up, play some bocce and have some food and brew,” he said, adding that everyone attending can play the game.
The event begins at 4 p.m. and will run until 10 p.m. Tickets are $40 each and can be purchased at First Hope Bank branches, by contacting Chief Danielson at 973-383-5544 or Chief Zabita at 973-347-4008, or by calling any Sussex County police chief. For more information, contact Chief Danielson or Chief Zabita.