Lions Players, Celebrities Help Raise Money for the Athletes with Disabilities Network

The Detroit Lions competed to help the community on May 18, 2010, heading to the Palazzo di Bocce in Orion Township for the seventh annual Tony Filippis Memorial Bocce Tournament. Event proceeds, which were approximately $75,000, will benefit the Athletes with Disabilities Network as well as other charities in Michigan through Detroit Lions Charities. Money was raised through sponsorships, ticket sales and a live auction, which took place toward the end of the event.

	Detroit Lion - Matthew Stafford
	Detroit Lion - Louis Delmas

Lions Players, Celebrities Help Raise Money for the Athletes with Disabilities Network

The Detroit Lions competed to help the community on May 18, 2010, heading to the Palazzo di Bocce in Orion Township for the seventh annual Tony Filippis Memorial Bocce Tournament. Event proceeds, which were approximately $75,000, will benefit the Athletes with Disabilities Network as well as other charities in Michigan through Detroit Lions Charities. Money was raised through sponsorships, ticket sales and a live auction, which took place toward the end of the event.

Wright & Filippis President A.J. Filippis was one of the chairmen for the event along with Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz, Tony Battaglia and former Detroit Lions lineman Mike Utley.

“You see the players outside of football, coming and having a little competitiveness, having some food and interacting with the fans a little bit – all in a real relaxed atmosphere,” said Schwartz.

“It doesn’t feel like it’s a charity event, it feels like you’re at somebody’s house.”

Detroit Lions players mingled with fans, signed autographs, ate and – of course – played bocce ball.

“First of all, I didn’t know how to pronounce ‘bocce’ until I got here,” said Lions’ safety Louis Delmas. “I thought it was similar to bowling, but once you get going, you start to figure out real quick that if you use the same technique as bowling you won’t get any points at all.”

Delmas was one of many players having to learn the finesse of the game, competing against teammates on one of the many courts at Palazzo di Bocce.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford was one Lion who had played the game before, but not quite in the same fashion.

“This is my first time playing bocce on an official bocce court,” said Stafford. “I usually play on the beach in the sand – it’s a little bit different strategy, but it’s fun. Not so much rolling as it is tossing.”

The tournament is named in honor of the late Tony Filippis, founder of Wright & Filippis and long-time advocate for the disabled community who died at age 91 in 2007.