Our Place - Five Towns TrophyIt was another successful fundraiser for Our Place this past Sunday night in the Five Towns at the home of Esti and Ushi Stahler in Lawrence. Close to 400 men gathered for the Ultimate Guys Night Out and Backyard Volleyball Tournament, the very first Our Place event to take place in the Five Towns.
In addition to the genuine warmth that was matched by the perfect late-summer weather, the bash featured an extensive barbecue menu catered by private chef Ari Schiffer, a full bar featuring fine wines and high-end liquor donated by Mark Glicksman of Atlantic Wines, premium cigars, and freshly rolled sushi donated by Josh Berkowitz of Eden Wok of New Rochelle. There were numerous giveaways throughout the night, including commemorative shot glasses donated by Gourmet Glatt, canvas backpacks presented by Aaron Jungreis of Rosewood Realty, special jerseys for the championship game sponsored by Leon Goldenberg of Goldmont Realty, as well as coffee mugs and main event T-shirts for all participants sponsored by the main event sponsor, Shalom Vegh of Westwood Realty. Additional sponsors included Maidenbaum & Sternberg LLP, Central Park South Dental, the Multi Group of Companies, MYDA Advisors, and the Five Towns Jewish Times.
The volleyball tournament itself was extremely competitive, with premier Jewish athletes from all across New York City coming out to Lawrence to take part. Seventeen teams competed for the top honor, with several captained by well-known philanthropists. The championship round was won by the Lobos, led by team captain Asher Jungreis, who also served as the event chairman.
“This was the best charitable fundraiser of its kind yet,” said Don Ghermazian, who joined the event from Riverdale and captained the American Dream volleyball team. “It was fun, well-organized, and something my family and I are proud to be part of.”
“This was an awesome event and it is an honor to be associated with such a worthy organization,” added Asher Jungreis.
The evening also featured popular singer Beri Weber, accompanied by a full band, as well as a roving magician who entertained the crowd throughout the five-hour event, which lasted until 11 p.m.
“It was a wonderful event and people didn’t want to go home,” said Our Place executive director Rabbi Aryeh Young. “It is inspiring to see how the Five Towns has welcomed Our Place into their hearts and we hope that this will be the first of many similar events in this warm and giving community.”
Founded in 1998, Our Place is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating transformative personal growth in at-risk Jewish teens and young adults currently struggling with substance abuse, severe crisis, and other unhealthy life circumstances. Our Place runs a wide array of services including teen drop-in centers, 12-step support groups, mentoring programs, support and advocacy for victims of sexual abuse, a 24-hour crisis hotline, legal assistance, extensive drug rehabilitation and therapy placement networks, teen pregnancy support, an “alternative” high school, as well as vocational and educational placement services. To support or find out more about Our Place, visit www.OurPlaceNY.org or call 516-512-4494. v

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