Volleyball tourney turns teachers competitive

     For the second year in a row, hundreds of West Hempstead parents, students and teachers came together to raise money for a scholarship fund that supports West Hempstead High School seniors.
    Educators from throughout the West Hempstead Union Free School District participated in the second annual West Hempstead Volleyball Tournament at the high school gym on Friday, March 19 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., selling tickets, doing administrative tasks and joining in the physical activity.
    The event, where some 500 tickets were sold, raised almost $5,000 for the West Hempstead Educators Association's Scholarship Fund, which typically awards scholarships to between five and seven high school students.
    Teachers from each school – Chestnut Street, Cornwell Avenue and George Washington elementary schools, and West Hempstead Middle School and West Hempstead High School – formed teams for their respective schools and competed against each other for the win. As it did last year, the team representing the middle school won the final game against the George Washington team.
    "The whole night was just a lot of fun, good spirit," said Cornwell Avenue science teacher John Santoro. "The teachers were excited about it," he added, noting that students were also very enthusiastic, coming out to cheer for and support their favorite teachers and teams.