FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact:   Elissa Ruffino (NIAF) 202/939-3106 or elissa@niaf.org

EVENT: Superball Invitational Western Classic
Tournament in conjunction with
the World Bocce League

WHERE: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
84-245 Indio Springs Parkway
Indio, CA 92203-3499
800/827-2946
www.fantasyspringsresort.com

Join bocce teams from across the world at Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino as they compete in the Superball Invitational Western Classic Tournamament from July 14 – 16 in Indio, Calif. The event includes an Open Division and a Fun/Challenge Division with $20,000 in cash and prizes, including a $6,000 first prize in the Open Division.

According to Phil Ferrari, chairman and CEO of the World Bocce League (WBL) and also known as ‘Mr. Bocce,’ “the Superball Invitational Western Classic Tournament will be the largest guaranteed purse for bocce ever held in California.”

Registration at the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center will be Thursday, July 14 at 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., followed by a welcome reception and dinner. The following day, the tournament will begin at 8 a.m., and on Saturday, July 16 the final tournament will be played at 8:00 a.m.

Bocce is an ancient game with some authorities claiming it orIginated in Egypt in 5200 B.C. Many sources agree that Bocce, as we know it today, was played between battles during Rome’s Punic Wars against Carthage, which started in 264 B.C. For many Italian Americans, Bocce is a nostalgic glimpse of the “Old Country.” It reminds Italian Americans of their proud heritage. Over the past 10 years, the WBL has seen an incredible growth in the game’s popularity among amateur enthusiasts, athletes and professional competitors.

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is pleased to support the work of The World Bocce League and the tournament.

For more information about the WBL and the tournament, contact: Phil Ferrari at 800/652-6223.

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a non-profit, non-partisan foundation dedicated to promoting the contributions of Italian Americans. The Foundation has a wide-range of programs that provide scholarships and grants, legislative internships in Congress, conferences and cultural seminars. Visit our website at www.niaf.org.