The 2024 "The Bethie" Grass Volleyball Tournament fundraiser is Sunday, June 23.
Elizabeth Alexander-Blake Memorial
Join us in making a difference for the next generation of volleyball players!
The Bethie Donation Box
Your support and contribution will enable us to meet our goals. Your generous donation will help fund our mission to inspire youth volleyball in our community.
Mail-in check donations are appreciated too!
Please send to:
The Elizabeth Alexander-Blake Memorial
P.O. Box 929 Gresham OR 97030
Why we started, "The Bethie"
Elizabeth fell in love with volleyball at a young age. She played for many community programs like the Mt. Hood YMCA, NIKE Club, Gresham Barlow, Mt. Hood Community College, and Western Oregon University. She was also a beloved teacher at North Gresham Elementary School and a volleyball coach for Gresham High School, Nike NW Jrs, Adidas, and Mt. Hood Athletic Club. She passed away in 2022, and her family wanted to honor her legacy by starting this foundation to support kids in volleyball while carrying on Beth's passion.
Our Mission
The Elizabeth Alexander-Blake Memorial is a non-profit 501c3, whose mission is to support the young volleyball players in our community, inspired by Bethie's passion for supporting children and nurturing a love of this sport. We are excited to honor Bethie's memory by hosting annual grass volleyball fundraisers to raise money to pay for Gresham Gopher Youth Volleyball Campers and hopefully to expand more volleyball opportunities in our community.
The Bethie Team
A team of Bethie's family and friends come together every year to organize an event known as, "The Bethie" a grass volleyball tournament. The goal of this special day is to bring the Gresham community of volleyball players together to compete in an all-day tournament to win prizes, have fun, and reconnect with old teammates, students, friends, and family of Bethie's. Additionally, we welcome any new volleyball players to come make new friends.
Our Impact
At our event in 2023, The Bethie team raised enough money to sponsor almost 100 children to attend the Gresham High School Gopher Volleyball camp for free. The students who participated each got a t-shirt and a special week of amazing volleyball memories. Our goal is to inspire the love of this sport and to honor a loving coach we all miss in Bethie!
Tournament Details
- The tournament format is co-ed reverse quads (teams must have at least 2 girls). If the team has 4 girls then 2 must be designated as “men”. They will be required to hit from behind the 10’ and cannot block (unless it is against a male player) ***Juniors don’t have to be coed teams. When we have all the teams signed up we will make necessary adjustments based on level of play so that it is fun for everyone.
- There are 3 Divisions. Competitive A & B and a Recreational Division. We will adjust based on registered teams but as a guide, Junior teams will be registered in REC Division unless they are a strong 16/18’s team with experience. Then they will be placed in COMPETITIVE B. Final decision on placement will be made by tournament directors to ensure safety and maximum quality of play!!
- Cost is $35 per player ($25 for 12 and under) and includes lunch.
- Check-in will start at 8am, pool play starts at 9am.
Our Sponsors
Join The Bethie's Mission
Together, we can create positive change. Support our cause and help us make a lasting impact on the community of volleyball players.