Each year The Hill School hosts Waterpolooza, an annual water polo tournament in which all of the profits made are donated to a local charity, Operation Backpack.

Operation Backpack provides food to students in the local community who are unable to purchase it themselves. It works to help the homeless and food-insecure students succeed by addressing childhood hunger.

The organization was created by one of Hill’s own families, the Heverlys, seven years ago. Operation Backpack serves alongside individuals and organizations to collect food and materials. Volunteers then pack the items into backpacks every Wednesday evening. The backpacks are then sent out to qualifying students at each school. The students pick up the backpacks each Friday and return them on Monday.

Each backpack contains enough food for Friday night dinner, as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner for Saturday. Snacks and water are also provided. The Hill Girls’ Water Polo team has volunteered for the past two preseasons to help Operation Backpack. Nine local high school boys and girls water polo teams participated in this year’s tournament.

Representatives from Jolyn, a popular swimsuit company, attended the tournament as well. Twenty percent of the profits made by Jolyn through Waterpolooza will go to Operation Backpack.

This year, the girls’ water polo team competed in three games throughout the tournament and finished undefeated. The stands were packed with Hill students during the girls’ traditional 7AM game. The boys’ water polo team won three out of their four games.

“It was awesome and exciting to see how supportive our fans were even at 7AM,” Sarah Wentling ’18, girls’ water polo captain said. “It really boosted our moral and helped us play better as a unit and execute the plays.”

“Our team was so excited to play the game because we knew no matter what, half the student body was routing for us and had our back the whole game,” Maddy Lewis ‘20, a two-year player of the girls’ water polo team said.

The boys’ water polo team succeeded as well and won three out of their four games.

“It was great to be able compete in the tournament because the teams get so much support from their peers, which ultimately supports Operation Backpack,” Michael Schiavone ’19, a three-year player of the boys’ water polo team said. “Everyone who came out supported Operation Backpack, and that is what is so great about the tournament.”

The tournament was a success for both Hill teams and Operation Backpack.