'PrideFest' Volleyball Tournament Raises Thousands For LGBTQ+ Youth

EAST MEADOW, NY — VBLI, a Long Island-based recreational volleyball organization for teenagers and adults, brought together dozens of people and raised thousands of dollars to help LGBTQ+ youth at its first annual PrideFest.

The day-long tournament, which was held at Eisenhower Park on Saturday, featured men's, women's and co-ed doubles, along with gender-neutral quads. The event was a fundraiser for 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.

The competition was originally supposed to happen in 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID pandemic.

"From beginning to end, there was an excitement to PrideFest that made it feel more special than any other tournament we've hosted in the last 16 years," said Glenn Yankow, founder and managing director of VBLI. "After 3 years of planning, the entire occasion was everything we dreamed of."

VBLI said that 186 people competed on 20 different courts. The event raised $5,000 for PFY.

The event was so successful that VBLI plans to hold another PrideFest competition next year.