The fate of the annual “Stop the Violence” basketball tournament in Riverhead is up in the air due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tournament organizers have plans to hold the two-day event, with health and safety procedures in place, but the New York Forward phased reopening plan does not currently allow basketball tournaments in phase four. Basketball is listed as a “higher risk” sport and “competitive tournaments of multiple games, meets, matches, or scrimmages requiring travel” are not yet allowed. Riverhead Town basketball courts remain closed.
The town will ask the state for an exemption from the rules, Supervisor Yvette Aguiar said today.
“Stop the Violence” cofounder Dwayne Eleazer met with the town board via Zoom videoconference at the board’s work session this morning to update board members on his plans for the tournament on Aug. 8 and 9 at the town’s Osborn Avenue park.
Eleazer said the tournament will have safety precautions in place, including requiring wellness checks, including temperature checks for all players, referees and scorekeepers. Only players and coaches will be allowed inside the fenced court, he said. Spectators will all be required to wear masks and there will be sanitary stations all around.
People will be coming from all over, Eleazer said, with teams from New Jersey and Connecticut, along with teams from NYC and Long Island, slated to participate.
Town Board members reacted favorably to the plan, praising Eleazer for the work he has done, along with former Riverhead resident Larry Williams, to organize and host the popular tournament.
The annual two-day, double-elimination tournament, celebrating its 14th anniversary this year, is intended to build mutual respect and friendships on the basketball court.
“Every year, you see a tremendous game of basketball,” Councilman Tim Hubbard said today.
“It’s a great effort and I know the community has always rallied behind you,” Aguiar told Eleazer. “You should be proud of yourself,” she said.
“I’ll definitely see you on the 8th,” the supervisor told him at the conclusion of the discussion.
“Yes without a doubt,” Eleazer replied. “I’m looking forward to seeing everybody Aug. 8.”
“We’ll be there,” Councilman Frank Beyrodt replied.
The board did not discuss the N.Y. Forward restrictions or the possibility of obtaining an exemption for the tournament at the meeting.
“As far as I know basketball is still prohibited,” Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller said after the work session.
In a phone interview after the meeting, the supervisor said Riverhead Recreation Superintendent Ray Coyne was going to request an exemption from the state to allow the tournament to go on.
“It’s still two weeks away,” Aguiar said. The governor may be “softening” some of the restrictions before then, anyway, she said.
The supervisor said the town has not issued any approval for the tournament.
“If on Aug. 8 we are in the same state we are, unfortunately, the game cannot take off,” Aguiar said. “And we’ll not go over the governor’s protocol. We will be following it to the tee…It’s something our emergency response team — we take this very seriously.”
Eleazer said in a phone interview this afternoon the supervisor called him after the meeting and they have a meeting scheduled for Tuesday to further discuss the tournament — and his new nonprofit organization.
Eleazer has recently formed a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit called Stop the Violence Long Island. The town is considering making a grant to the new nonprofit with CARES Act funding coming to Riverhead through the town’s community development office. Councilwoman Jodi Giglio set up today’s work session discussion and suggested to Eleazer that the organization send a letter requesting funding to the community development department.
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