For over 18 years, the premiere event of every summer has been Sephardic Bikur Holim’s Top Gun Tournament. With tournaments in basketball, soccer, dodge ball, volleyball, softball, backgammon and Monopoly Deal, there’s something for everyone with a competitive edge—and the best part is that all of the proceeds go to benefit the clients of SBH.
Anyone who has spent a summer on the Jersey Shore has certainly been to a Top Gun event, whether it be the opening rounds, the playoffs, the always riveting finals, or even the closing ceremony. You can’t miss it; thousands of people gather to cheer on their friends and watch the action.
As we get ready for the start of the 2011 tournament season, the Top Gun committee has decided to make this amazing event even bigger and better. How can it get any bigger than it already is? You might ask. There’s literally no other time when you see so many people you know in one place.
Where else can you even accommodate more people? Well, you could start by moving it to a baseball stadium and making it the opening event of the tournament season. And that’s just what the 2011 committee has decided to do. On Sunday May 1, 2011, SBH will be taking over the 7,500 seat MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones in Coney Island, and making it the new home of the Top Gun Tournament. By using the home of Brooklyn’s own minor league team, they’ll keep their beach side views, and still have plenty of field to play on. Only this year it will be bigger and better than ever.
The idea came when the committee realized there were many tournaments around the same time as Top Gun. Even though most of them were scheduled on different Sundays, how many beach days were we willing to give up and how much could an athlete endure in one summer? So they decided to make it a spring event and kick off the season with the biggest and best tournament of them all.
Ezra Bibi, who has been working endlessly with the committee for months said, “We wanted Top Gun to be the first tournament of the season and to give the community the chance to spend a wonderful day supporting SBH. We are confident that the new and improved Top Gun will be a great success, just like the many years before. Plus, our athletes really love the idea.”
It’s a great decision, from a player’s standpoint as well as an economic standpoint. The new venue will give SBH the opportunity to create a destination for the entire family to enjoy what promises to be a beautiful spring day. There will be tons of games and rides and amusements for the kids as well as an awesome barbecue for the entire family to enjoy. The additional space will also allow SBH to add a brand new tournament to the already action packed day—an all new Bring Your Own Team Softball Tournament, where the softball players of the community will get the chance to hit for the fences, just like the pros.
With a new earlier date, SBH has an opportunity to set itself apart from all of the events that take place throughout the summer. SBH is the community organization that helps those in need. What better way to raise money for such an important cause than to get everyone together for a day of fun, games and friendly competition?
As one of last year’s participants said, “There’s nothing better than being able to do what you love while raising money for SBH. You end the day feeling better inside and out whether you win a trophy or not.”
Finally, for all who fear their summer just won’t be complete without Top Gun in Deal, we have some big news—Top Girl, the all new female version of Top Gun, will be held in Deal, on Sunday July 24th. This will give the female superstars of our community their own special day to shine, while at the same time helping SBH. On that same day, Top Gun will be holding its first ever co-ed tennis tournament, so now’s the time to get on the court to perfect your serve.
Want to be part of this amazing day? Log onto www.sbhtopgun.com where you can register for all of the tournaments or make a donation. Make sure you do it right away, because the spots fill up quickly. There are also a limited number of sponsorships available for what promises to be the event of the spring. It’s a great opportunity to support SBH and promote your business to the thousands who will be in attendance. Also, keep in mind that softball is BYOT (bring your own team), so make sure you get yours together ASAP. Don’t miss the event of the summer!
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Sarah Sarway is a community member.
