From Dog Walks to Bocce Playoffs: 20 Years of Community in Bella Vista

This past weekend, our team Game of Throwin's played in the Bardascino Park Bocce League playoffs. And before you wonder what the heck this had to do with dog walking, we went head-to-head with The A Team—who, fun fact, were one of our very first dog walking clients nearly 20 years ago, and are still weekly clients. (Note that our placement in the playoffs surprised even us, as our bocce strategy is largely luck-based. We don't practice much, nor do we take it that seriously. We do it purely because it's a fun way to connect with neighbors and being in the league is part of what makes Philly magical.)

Tui cheered for everyone! Everyone is a winner in Tui's world.

It was a close match and went on for over 45 minutes, but in the end, The A Team took home the win. And honestly? We couldn’t have been happier for them. Over the years, we’ve done thousands of walks for them (we did the math!) watched their dogs grow, and even watered their community garden plot while they were away. Squaring off against them on the bocce court reminded us that while the season might be over, the victory is in the connections we’ve built - both as a Philly company and as neighbors over two decades.

That’s what we love about Bella Vista and our wider Philadelphia community - neighbors become clients, clients become bocce rivals, and after two decades, it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.  (We honestly love our home and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. If you get Philly, you get Philly.)

So while the leaderboard said otherwise, we walked away feeling like winners. Because for 20 years and counting, we’ve had the privilege of being part of this community—and that’s the best prize of all. (Though the trophy is REALLY cool.) Speaking of prizes, we did actually win something! We won "Best Team Name" and the honor came with honorary paper "medals" which are now on our fridge.

We did win something! Best Team Name for: Game of Throwin's