Who we are
Mother and daughter team, Marcy & Lily Eskanos established The Max Volleyball Tournament, in honor of beloved daughter and sister, Maxine Connelly. Maxine, "the girl with the heart of gold", was known by friends, family, and community members as the girl who used her last $20 to hand out food to the hungry and underprivileged. In July of 2020, at the young age of 20, Maxine's journey as an Angel-on-earth ended, and she was welcomed Home to become the guardian angel that so many people already viewed her as. Maxine had a deep passion for helping people, keeping our community beautiful, and playing volleyball.To honor Maxine's loving and generous legacy, The Max Volleyball Tournament was established. This annual tournament is open to the public and the proceeds are used to fight hunger.
"Combining Maxine’s love of volleyball and her desire to feed those in need is the perfect way to honor our special girl. We hope to create a legacy for years to come; that would mean so very much to her."
- Marcy Eskanos
(Maxine Connelly's mother)
Our Mission
The Max Volleyball Tournament is proudly partnered with Feeding the Gulf Coast, a member of Feeding America. All proceeds from the volleyball tournament are donated to the Feeding the Gulf Coast, who works through member organizations and special programs to provide nutritious food to meet the challenge of feeding people who are hungry as a result of systemic poverty, personal crisis or disaster. Through this incredible organization, every $5 raised provides 25 meals. To find out more about Feeding the Gulf Coast, click the button below.