Hood River, OR, WPH Press –
The 9th annual Hood River Invitational is scheduled for June 21st at the Elks Lodge in Hood River, Oregon. The Hood River Handball Association is excited to continue its partnership with the World Players of Handball to promote this premier event for the fourth consecutive year.
The Hood River Invitational began in 2015 and continued through 2019 before taking two years off due to the pandemic. After restarting in 2022 the tournament has continued to thrive and grow in popularity, always quickly filling to the 40-participant capacity. The tournament runs in a unique format, dividing into “A” and “B” groups and pairing the top and bottom players to create even teams who compete in a round robin format before playing off for each position.
With a beautiful destination and stiff competition, the tournament always brings out the best players Oregon has to offer. Frequent participants include Oregon State Champions Kyle English, Dalton Beall, Matt Steele, and Ryan Grossenbacher, as well as Northwest Regional Champion Cody Townsend, and Three-Wall National 40+ Champion Tyler Stevens. Past tournaments have also featured WPH Pro players, including Vic Perez and Sean Lenning.
In addition to the strong competition, the main feature of the Hood River Invitational is the charitable aspect, raising money for medical bills for local children. In 2022, the tournament raised over $4000 for a little boy battling cancer. In 2023, the tournament raised over $4000 for the family of a teenage boy who had passed away from brain cancer. In 2024, the tournament raised more than $7000 (an HRI record) for a little boy recovering from severe burn injuries. This year the Hood River Invitational will be raising funds for another individual who is battling cancer.
Not everyone can play in the Hood River Invitational due to the participant capacity, but everyone can help the cause. If you are interested in supporting the 2025 Hood River Invitational, please contact the Hood River Handball Association at hoodriverha@gmail.com.
Nick Flores, Chairman
Oregon Handball Association