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Volunteers, Sons and Daughters of Italy restore and maintain Pier Park bocce courts
Summary
Members of the Sons and Daughters of Italy recounted how they worked with the City of St. Augustine Beach to build, repair and maintain bocce courts at Pier Park, saying volunteers and donated funds—about $30,000 so far—covered the recent rebuild with no cost to the city.
Mayor Beth Sweeney welcomed guests from the Sons and Daughters of Italy and highlighted a volunteer effort to revive the bocce courts at Pier Park.
Bob Crivelli, introduced by the mayor as the person who oversees the bocce ball courts at Pier Park, described the courts' history and the partnership with the city. He said the club began in 2001 and that "in 2004, a bunch of folks from the bocce, from the Sons and Daughters approached the city council and asked them for assistance in developing these bocce courts." Crivelli said the city provided a back loader and local businesses donated materials to build the courts, which fit alongside volleyball courts and a splash park.
Crivelli said the courts fell into disrepair around 2014 and were unused for several years. "In the last 2 years or so, we came back in. We sank over $30,000 into these courts, all donated money, all volunteer money, built the courts again from scratch," he said. He added the club plans to invest another $6,000 in additional improvements. Materials and volunteer labor, Crivelli said, have allowed the group to handle maintenance and beautification without city expense.
The club also described community-facing activities tied to the courts. Crivelli said the group has offered scholarships to Saint John's High School students and made donations to local nonprofits, framing the courts as part of a broader civic partnership. Mayor Sweeney thanked the guests for contributing to the "vibrancy of Saint Augustine Beach."
