Hood River, OR, WPH Press, 4/26/19- For the fifth consecutive year, the Hood River Handball Association will be hosting the Hood River Invitational from May 31st – June 2nd at the Elks Lodge in beautiful Hood River, Oregon. The WPH will proudly sponsor and promote this weekend-long philanthropic handball festival for the third consecutive year.
Friday’s schedule includes numerous outdoor activities. Some players will opt for a round of golf at the gorgeous Hood River Golf Course, while most players and their families will descend on Oak Grove Park for 1-Wall handball, sand volleyball, and a barbecue dinner. All handball players and fans are welcome to participate in the 1-Wall play day! After the outdoor activities, players will head back to the Elks Lodge to enjoy the Hood River nightlife.
Saturday is the main event, with 40 players participating in a one-day, two-division, three-match minimum, 4-Wall small ball doubles tournament. While the main event is limited to only 40 entrants, all handball players and fans are encouraged to attend the Hood River Invitational. After the champions are crowned, an “end of the season” banquet will be held, featuring several speakers wrapping up the 2018-19 Oregon Handball season. Sunday morning features a “players breakfast” at Bette’s Place.
This year the HRHA has decided to partner with a local family who has experienced some difficulty this past year. Bailey is a young girl who was adopted into the Strong family when she was three months old. Shortly after she was adopted, Jeff and Ronda Strong noticed that she wasn’t using her right side, and as she got older, she was delayed in her development. After seeing specialists and receiving an MRI, the Strong family was told that Bailey was suffering from Cerebral Palsy, Septo-optic Dysplasia. The family was told that there was a chance Bailey may not walk, talk, or have the ability to socialize with her peers. Over the next six years, Bailey had numerous doctors’ appointments and therapies, which resulted in her ability to walk, talk, and make friends.
The Strong family decided to have Bailey’s first surgery on March 5th, which consisted of extensive work done on her right side. This included ligament work done on her arm and leg as well as her leg being broken and realigned. Bailey was in casts for four weeks and has started intense therapies to learn how to walk again. Her future looks bright, but there will certainly be added difficulties and more surgeries in the future.
The HRHA is so thankful to be able to partner with the Strong family this year and would like potential sponsors to consider contributing to the 2019 Hood River Invitational to support Bailey. Contact the Hood River Handball Association at hoodriverha@gmail.com for more information about sponsorship.
History of the Hood River Handball Association: In 2015 it was announced that the Hood River Pro Am tournament was no longer going to be continued at the Hood River Elks Club, a tournament that was widely known across the national handball community. Even though it was sad to see the popular tournament come to an end, it was an opportunity for Michael and Stephen Stenberg to start a new tradition. The 1st annual Hood River Invitational (HRI) was held the first weekend of June in 2015 and was a smashing success, as more than 40 participants from the Pacific Northwest traveled to Hood River for action packed handball, great food & drink, and amazing entertainment. Following the first HRI, Michael and Stephen recruited their brothers Andrew and Philip to help with tournament planning and to establish the association as an official non-profit.
HRHA Mission Statement: The Hood River Handball Association was established to encourage healthy lifestyles through the sport of handball and to give back to the community through fundraising and scholarships.
For more information about the Hood River Invitational, please visit the HRHA Facebook page at HERE. To sponsor the Hood River Invitational, please contact the Hood River Handball Association.