HOPE: You Have a Good Time

Serving Up Fun, and Charity, at the City’s Most Anticipated Event of the Summer

The sun is beaming down; light is bouncing off of the bay water in stunning, random flashes. All around you are the beautiful beach bodies, some tanning; others are well past that and, tomorrow, will surely regret forgoing sunscreen. People are enjoying volleyball on the hot, sandy beach and the rich park grass. People are drinking, but they are all enjoying themselves with no nastiness in the air. Frisbees and footballs whiz overhead. The smell of tasty, albeit unhealthy, vendor food pervades the event. The music you hear on the radio echoes from the amphitheatre nearby as groups play for the 25,000 attending the event. You may be enjoying the greatest day of your summer, all the while greatly contributing to a group of local charities.

Ottawa’s HOPE Volleyball Summerfest is one of the city’s most anticipated events of the year–a considerable achievement for a charitable organization. The event testifies that the satisfaction of helping others is not the only enjoyment to be found in charity. The HOPE Volleyball Summerfest is certainly not the first charity event to emphasize fun and excitement (events like Live Aid and Farm Aid come to mind), but these do not represent the majority of charity events. Silent-auction dinners, door-to-door and phone soliciting are still used often, and while the intentions are admirable, an event like the HOPE Volleyball Summerfest allows for an enjoyable experience to be incorporated into charity work.

In 1982, as a tribute to his mother, a victim of cancer, Ottawa resident Fred Logan and a group of friends set out to organize an event that would benefit local charities. The group was inspired by the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope and began to develop their own idea for a charity sporting event: a beach volleyball tournament. The event, aptly named HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere), was a success and raised $2,900 for charities throughout Ottawa. No one expected the event to grow into the world’s largest single-day outdoor volleyball tournament. Through the combination of determination, good will and the promise of a great time, the event garnered enough support to move it from Britannia Beach to Mooney’s Bay in order to accommodate the growing number of interested teams. The event continued to grow and now reaches its capacity of 84 courts and 1032 teams each year– not bad for an event that had 28 teams in its inaugural tournament. Event administrators are currently preparing for the twenty-ninth annual HOPE Volleyball Summerfest set to take place this July.

Bumped Up By Volunteers

As in any charitable endeavour, volunteers are crucial at HOPE, and few people realize the importance of volunteers better than Holly Tarrison. Twelve years ago, Tarrison began volunteering at the event, serving drinks in the beer garden,. Today, she is the executive director, and one of only three paid staff members for the event. “Volunteers are absolutely essential,” Tarrison says, “without them, the event literally could not happen.” There is no denying this fact. Tarrison reports that not only is there a planning team of 40-45 people working hard from January to organize the event, but also there is a need for 1100-1300 volunteers on the day of the tournament for a variety of services.

“It’s a great way for high-school students to get their community hours, and we get a lot of interest from people just looking to help out,” Tarrison says. The overwhelming amount of volunteer support is not only paramount in the operations of this great event, but it, too, is a testament to the many benefits of incorporating an exciting atmosphere to charity events.

The volleyball tournament caters to players of all skill sets with a recreational division for beginners and those who are looking for a fun, friendly game, and a competitive division for players with experience looking for a more spirited game. In addition, each division has corporate subdivisions which include VIP perks, such as exclusive seating, prime beach location for all games and signage for their business. Teams are guaranteed a full day’s worth of entertainment, as each team plays a minimum of five games and is provided a lunch. Adam Stienstra, a perennial participant in the tournament, says: “It’s a great day, for sure. Win or lose, you are going home happy knowing you had an awesome day of volleyball, great friends, great music and great beer.”

Set the Stage

Though the volleyball tournament is an excellent attraction to the event, it is certainly not the only one. The HOPE Volleyball Summerfest offers great, live entertainment from Canadian musical talent.  “We are proud to use only Canadian entertainment at the event. It’s important to showcase the talent we have here,” says Tarrison. Spectators come from all over the city to crowd around the amphitheatre, or lounge on the large grassy hill (which doubles as an excellent sound barrier for nearby residents), listening to some of Canada’s great musical talent.

 While the entertainment for this year’s event has yet to be established, spectators can anticipate a stellar showcasing of local musicians. The winner of the Live 88.5 Big Money Shot contest, in which local bands compete for the opportunity to be backed by the popular radio station, is expected to be part of the line up. Last year’s event showcased some great acts including: Hawksley Workmen, The Johnstones and one of the hottest new Canadian bands, and winner of last year’s Big Money Shot contest, Hollerado.

Spike Donations

In the grand scheme, the pleasentness of the event is great for all involved, but it is secondary to the extraordinary charitable contributions the event produces. Each year, HOPE receives many applications for funding and has the difficult task of approving four to six of those applications. HOPE is committed to helping a wide range of local charities and associations and one way they do this is by requiring a waiting period of at least four years after receiving funding to be considered once again during the application process. HOPE Volleyball Summerfest generates up to $150,000 for its fortunate beneficiaries each year.  This year, the HOPE Volleyball Summerfest will be assisting six great associations: Breast Cancer Action, Harvest House, YMCA/YWCA, Kids Help Phone, The Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre Foundation and Starlight Children’s Foundation.

Match Good Will and Good Times

Support for the HOPE Volleyball Summerfest is staggering. From event patrons to city officials, from volunteers to media, everyone enjoys being a part of something great. Charity events do not need to be boring or pull at your heart-strings; they can just as easily be lively and exciting. HOPE has established itself as one of the largest charity organizations in the city, and their contributors are not solicited door-to-door or driven by guilt, but rather, they are there voluntarily to enjoy themselves in an electrifying atmosphere while helping deserving charities in the process. Holly Tarrison and her crew of administrators and volunteers, the patrons who attend the event, community residents and everyone involved in this event should be commended for excellent and impactful work.

 So, as the July sun is shining down as you spike the ball, or as the cold beer touches your lips while you listen to some great, live, Canadian music at the amphitheatre, remember the hard work that transformed your charitable efforts into one of the most anticipated events of the summer.

To volunteer or donate, visit www.hopehelps.com