One afternoon, Elaine was over at her friend Virginia Madden’s office in Pleasanton to help with a project. Virginia was on the board of VASCULAR CURES, working with doctors at UCSF and needed Elaine’s expertise. Afterward, talk turned to The Taylor Family Foundation (TTFF) and Camp Arroyo. 

From behind a newspaper, Virginia’s husband, John, asked Elaine “what do you want to do next out at that camp anyway?” 

Elaine had been investigating low impact activities for campers that would be interactive and fun for those who weren’t able to take part in high-impact sports that involved running and climbing. She replied that she wanted a 3 hole miniature golf course.

John Madden’s response? “Have you thought about bocce! How ‘bout a bocce court instead?” Elaine was game. Retired from the Raiders and working as a broadcaster, Madden got to work, enlisting members of his hometown bocce team and friends to manage the build-out at camp.

Completed in 2004, the Bocce Ball court was donated by John and Virginia Madden, Jim and Laurie Ghielmetti of Signature Properties, Bill Gates of Top Grade Construction and Tom Albanese of Central Concrete. To date the court still gets lots of use during the summer and is a favorite at weekend family camps and team building events. Preschool groups take advantage of the built-in “bumpers” along the courts for miniature bowling.

Although we are beyond grateful for the donation of the bocce court, what was even more heartwarming has been the lifelong connections made through that one conversation that took place behind a newspaper one summer afternoon.

The Maddens were contributors at Day in the Park and Madden Charities a grantor to The Taylor Family Foundation for years and remain on the honorary committee to this day.

Bill Gates and Top Grade Construction continued to support TTFF well after the completion of the bocce court, helping to install the blacktop at camp besides completing grading and culverts and designing the walking trails.

Even after Top Grade was acquired by Goodfellow Bros., TTFF has been a beneficiary of the company’s Little Heroes Golf Tournament. Last year 32 golfers participated in the tournament, raising a record $100,000 to send kids to camp, bringing their eight-year donation total to nearly $500,000!

Tom Albanese, owner of Campo di Bocce also remains active with the foundation, having donated Live Auction packages for Day in the Park for over 20 years.