103-Year-Old Plays Bocce in CV
Bocce ball is said to be fun for all ages, and 103-year-old Vince Dufresne is living proof. This active super-senior plays bocce every week with a drop-in group that meets at Castro Valley's Adobe Park.
“I’ve been playing bocce ball for the last 60 years. I love it,” says Dufresne. “I learned to play in the desert. I spend my winters down in Desert Hot Springs and have played there for years and years. But Castro Valley is my home. I spend summers up here.”
Before he retired, Dufresne was a machinist.
“And I built a lot of houses too,” he adds.
Now in his golden years, Dufresne is known as a skillful player who is “on target” and plays with great enthusiasm. Indeed, his accuracy is amazing, especially for a centenarian.
The group (mostly seniors) that Dufresne meets at Adobe Park says everyone of any age is welcome to join them. They play each Wednesday and Saturday at 10 a.m.
Bocce an Italian game using eight weighted balls that are aimed at a smaller target ball, or pallino. Points are earned by rolling your balls closer to the pallino than your opponent.
“What’s good about this bocce group is that anyone can join in. The only time you have to pay is when you’re in a tournament,” says player M. J. Blue.
The next tournament for the group is Saturday, September 9, beginning at 9 a.m. The entrance fee is actually a donation. It will be collected and given to the George Mark Children’s House, which provides respite and end-of-life care for children with life-limiting illness. Red Apple Bagels is donating sandwiches for tournament participants.
“We have fun social gatherings, and a lot of good comes from the tournaments,” says Maureen Hay.
Adobe Park and the Ken Martin Bocce Courts are located at 20395 San Miguel Ave., Castro Valley. The facility is Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (HARD) property.