After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the annual Greater Vernon Open (GVO) charity bocce tournament was back with a bang Saturday, July 23, in Coldstream Park.
Western Canada’s largest single-day bocce tournament attracted 90 teams.
This charity event has donated thousands of dollars back into the local community since it’s inception in 2005. This year like in 2019, North Okanagan Youth and Family Services Society (NOYFSS) was the local charity of choice for tournament founders and organizers Ed Schratter and Bill Trickey.
The GVO relies upon support from the community like Briteland Home and Garden and Okanagan Spring Brewery which has sponsored the event since 2010.
“We cannot say enough about Okanagan Spring.” said Schratter. “It is through their generous support that we can host such a fun community, charity event with funds left over to donate.”
The beer gardens added to the festive event and highlighted some of Vernon’s favourite hometown brews.
“Terrace Mtn IPA. 1516, as well as the brewery’s other products like Pabst Ice Tea and Social Lite vodka sodas were all a big hit,” said volunteer server and GVO beer garden DJ Tasha Gagne. “It is so nice to see people enjoying local products.”
The tournament attracts a large local contingent of fun-loving bocce enthusiasts as well as international players.
“This year we saw teams from Australia, Scotland, a Kiwi (New Zealand) and two couples who flew in from China to participate,” said Trickey. “That’s in addition to teams who regularly travel from Calgary, Vancouver and the Island. It seems that people actively arrange their vacations every year to coincide and play in the GVO and we are lucky to have such a beautiful venue like Coldstream Park to host the event.
“Coldstream municipal employees like parks supervisor Neil Blundell worked extra hard to make the grounds immaculate for this year’s tournament and I can’t thank Neil and his team enough.”
Costume prize money is just part of the $1,000 GVO prize purse that promotes not only a fun and festive event, but a competitive one as well. Jason Webster and partner Chris Brandle, both from Vernon, defeated Eric Ladner of Vernon and the aptly named bocce player Sean Boaler of Okanagan Centre for the $400 first prize. Ladner and Boaler pocketed $200 in what was a rematch of the 2019 final, also won by the Vernon boys.
“The round-robin is full of fun and laughter, but those teams that make it to the playoffs become competitive pretty quick,” said Webster.
The top placing all-female team of Carrie Sutch and Kim Brandle of Vernon took home $200 for their efforts.
The $200 costume prize that was voted by participants was a tie between the Miley Cyrus-inspired team of “I came in like a bocce ball” comprised of Kris Fuller and Laura Hitchen, and the 1980s-inspired “glam girls” Georgina and Erica Opp.
The GVO takes place every year on the fourth Saturday in July at Coldstream Park.
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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