A banner year for the Michelle O'Neill tourney

Photos by Kristie Arden/Herald

The beach was packed for this year’s Michelle O’Neill volleyball tournament despite the threat of rain.

Photos by Kristie Arden/Herald

Rob McCurdy, far left, of Team Squid Squad spiked the ball over to Joe Guarrasi and Allie Logan of Team Alexa.

Photos by Kristie Arden/Herald

Danny Marquino, 11, one of the children benefited by the Michelle O’Neill Foundation this year, thanked event organizer Carol O’Neill.

Photos by Kristie Arden/Herald

The Magnolia Ball Hogs in the heat of it against Bump Set Spike.

Photos by Kristie Arden/Herald

Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky, third from left, came down to cheer on the players, including 10-year-old Molly Matthaei, far left, and her dad, George Matthaei, as well as City Court Judge Corey Klein, Mike Egan, and Erik Marghella.

Photos by Kristie Arden/Herald

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Though thunderclouds hovered overhead for most of the day, thousands crowded the Laurelton Boulevard beach last Saturday for the 19th annual Michelle O’Neill Volleyball Tournament — a benefit event that raises money to help the families of children who are undergoing treatment for catastrophic diseases and special needs by providing financial assistance for the costs that insurance does not cover.

Carol O’Neill is the founder of the Michelle O’Neill Foundation and volleyball tournament of the same name, which are dedicated to the memory of Carol’s daughter, Michelle, who died of cancer in 1996 at age 24.

Over the years the event has grown from a few hundred competitors playing on 11 nets in 1997 to thousands of players and spectators packing the beach this year. In fact, O’Neill said that a record 333 teams participated, which should drive in the foundation’s highest donation totals to date.

“Team Irie” took home their second win in the tournament’s four-man competition while “Tito’s On the Rocks” dominated the six-man division for their third time. Though the weather was clear for most of the day, heavy, gusting rains began to fall around 5 p.m., O’Neill said, though it couldn’t dampen the competitive spirits of this year’s teams.

“Our very crazy, dedicated volleyball players were in the midst of the playoffs and they continued and finished,” O’Neill said.

Michelle didn’t play volleyball, Carol explained, but was a fun loving and positive person that Carol felt embodied the spirit of the community. “Since Long Beach is a volleyball town, my family thought that would be a fun way to carry on her personality,” she explained. In its early years, the tournament was traditionally held in the West End but has steadily moved eastward, especially after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. The last few tournaments have been held at Laurelton.

O’Neill said that the most rewarding aspect of organizing the event each year is getting to meet some of the children the foundation benefits. “That’s what it’s all about, to have them there,” she explained. Four of the children were at this year’s tourney: baby Allie, GianPaul, Dylan and Danny, who also said a few words to the crowd during the opening ceremony.