Camaraderie and competition went head to head last month as over 250 men turned out for the Ultimate Guys Night Out at the second annual Our Place Monsey Volleyball Tournament. The relentless wet weather was no match for high spirits as 16 teams went head to head, playing volleyball for three solid hours in the pouring rain as they raised money for Our Place, the Brooklyn-based organization that provides services, counseling and drop-in centers for troubled teens from all over the world.
The Ultimate Guys Night Out was hosted for the second year in a row by Yosef Zupnik and was sponsored by Main Event, GFI Insurance Brokerage, EMStar, as well as Capital Funding Group, Fairmont Insurance, Safrin Associates and Eden Wok. With a tantalizing array of steaks, ribs, sausages and pass arounds all prepared by culinary genius Avi Schiffer, a fabulous selection of wines and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of sushi by long time Our Place supporter Eden Wok of New Rochelle, the fundraiser had everyone in high spirits despite the inclement weather.
“We continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity of our Monsey friends,” said Rabbi Aryeh Young, director of Our Place. “It is only through the support of Jewish communities all around the New York area that we are able to continue serving the many teens and young adults who walk through our doors. We are honored to have been welcomed to Rockland County with open arms and owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to everyone who made this event a success, particularly the Zupniks, and our Main Event Sponsor, GFI Capital, who opened up their hearts to Our Place.”
While Isaac Deutsch of ABC Party Rental came through in the eleventh hour with tents to provide as much shelter as possible throughout the rainy night, the volleyball area was open to the elements, with mud-covered players slogging it out for hours as the tournament progressed. As teams found themselves defeated, they headed to the pool, enjoying a one-of-a-kind swim in the rain and by the end of the night, it was Avi Schwebel’s Cowboys who walked away with bragging rights as the winners of the tournament, beating out Yitz Greenbaum’s Camp Chevra team. Each one of the sixteen teams that played in the tournament committed to raising a minimum of $5,000 for Our Place, in an effort to help defray the continuing costs of operations and activities.
“The real winner here was Our Place,” said Zupnik. “We look forward to continuing this annual tradition here in Monsey.”
“This was an incredible event,” observed event chairman Chaim Greenfield. “You might have expected that we would have had to cancel the tournament because of the rain, but no one was willing to hear of it. Not only didn’t the rain cut the evening short, but people stayed for hours. No one wanted to go home. We can’t wait to do it all over again next year.”
To learn more about Our Place’s life-saving work, visit them online at www.ourplaceny.org.
