'PrideFest' Volleyball Tournament Coming To Eisenhower Park

EAST MEADOW, NY — VBLI, a Long Island-based recreational volleyball organization for teenagers and adults, will be holding its first annual Grass Volleyball Pride Festival, a.k.a “PrideFest,” on June 11 at Eisenhower Park. Originally scheduled to take place in June of 2020, PrideFest had been twice-delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Volleyball enthusiasts, the LGBTQ+ community and its allies are invited to compete in the all-day charity tournament featuring Men’s, Women’s and CoEd Doubles, plus Gender Neutral Quads, offered in a variety of skill levels. Half of the registration fees for teams will be donated to PFY (formerly Pride For Youth), a division of the Long Island Crisis Center whose mission is to enhance the health and wellness of the LGBTQ+ community through education, supportive services and personal development in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens Counties.

“PrideFest has been a long-time coming and reflects the volleyball community’s altruism and diversity, especially in regards to sexuality and gender,” said Glenn Yankow, VBLI’s founder and managing director. “Collaborating with PFY has been a pleasure and we’re as inspired as ever to create a fun, memorable tournament, one to keep improving upon for years to come.”

On-site vendors, which have not yet been announced, will donate additional proceeds. The goal is to host more than 200 volleyball players and raise more than $5,000 for PFY.

“We’re deeply grateful to VBLI for including us in this unique event held during Pride Month,” said Devon Zappasodi, director of PFY. “There is a lot of work to be done in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and equality in the area of athletics, but PrideFest is a nice indication of the progress that has been made.”

Registration for PrideFest is open now. Registration is $100 for doubles and $200 for quads. For more information, visit the VBLI website.