After a successful debut last year, the Second Annual Grass Volleyball Pride Festival, a.k.a “PrideFest,” will return on Saturday, June 10 to Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, N.Y.
Hosted in June 2022 by Volleyball Long Island (VBLI), a Long Island-based recreational volleyball organization for teenagers and adults, the inaugural PrideFest was an all-day charity tournament that welcomed 186 volleyball enthusiasts, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies from all over the Northeastern U.S.
The event raised $5,000 for Pride For Youth (PFY), whose mission is to enhance the health and wellness of the LGBTQ community in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens Counties. The organization will be returning as the event’s co-host and the recipient of the proceeds generated.
A variety of formats and skill levels will be offered, including mens’, womens’ and reverse co-ed doubles and gender-neutral fours. $60.00 from each doubles team and $120.00 from each fours teams’ registration fees will be donated to PFY.
“The first Pridefest was a labor of love that was embraced by the volleyball community, so it is inevitable this event would reoccur,” Glenn Yankow, VBLI’s founder and managing director, said in a press release. “We’re looking forward to working with PFY in creating another enjoyable experience that evokes the spirit of Pride Month.”
Over 200 people are expected to participate and spectate, raising more than $6,000 in the process. Teams are encouraged to be creative and dress-up in matching Pride-themed attire.
“For all of the attacks and discrimination that LGBTQ+ athletes endure on a regular basis, PrideFest stands as a defiant opposition to hateful rhetoric,” Devon Zappasodi, Director of PFY, said. “We’re grateful for VBLI and the volleyball community for creating this wholesome atmosphere.”
Registration for PrideFest is open now. For more information, visit: www.vbli.com.
— Jerry Del Priore
Photos: Volleyball Long Island.
NY NJ Sports World/Brooklyn Sports World 