Another Hope Beach Summerfest has come and gone, but this one was like no other!
By 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2009, Mooney's Bay beach was packed with Ottawa's budding volleyball pros, ready to impress their friends, family and co-workers with their polished skills.
By 11:45 a.m. everyone was drenched and up to their ankles in mud. For the first time in Hope Beach Volleyball Summerfest's history, the games were canceled. Rain and lightning made it too dangerous to play.
As people began to make the wet walk back to their cars and head home, the true spirit of Hope Beach Volleyball shone through the thick clouds...everyone began to celebrate the yearly event in the only way possible: By getting dirty.
Although it was a smaller crowd than most years, thousands of people stayed in the rain to enjoy the concerts and madness of the "Woodstock"-like event.
All six charities that depend on $25,000 each from the tournament will still receive their funds, as pledges and entrance fees had already been collected from the 10,000 registered volleyball players.
Of course, in the mix was the Marketing Breakthroughs team who spent the day enjoying the great event despite the rain and mess.
"Taking part in community events is just another one of the great things that make MB unique," says Elise Goodhoofd, MB's graphic designer. "We'll be back next year, armed with our impressive volleyball skills and perhaps an umbrella just to be safe."
