1st pickleball fundraiser tournament this weekend
Sunrise Optimist Club seeks sponsors, raffle prizes
The Sunrise Optimist Club of Yuma is holding its first-ever pickleball tournament to benefit the Special Olympics this weekend and is looking for sponsors and donations of raffle prizes.
Organizers are also inviting spectators to come out and enjoy the tournament at Cocopah RV & Golf Resort, 6800 Strand Ave.
The men’s tournament will take place 8-11 a.m. and the women’s tournament 1-4 p.m. Saturday.
The mixed doubles competition will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sunday.
All team spots have been filled, and the players are ready to compete, but the organizers are still trying to secure sponsors and prizes to raffle off during the event, with all proceeds going to the Special Olympics.
There are three levels of sponsorships available. Event sponsors, for $1,000, will have their logo appear on the event banner, court banner, event T-shirt and all advertising. Court sponsors, for $500, will have their logo appear on the court banner and event T-shirt. Team sponsors will have their name on the event T-shirt.
If interested in sponsoring or donating a raffle prize, contact Blitz by emailing info@freedomlibrary.org or calling 928-2462327.
Pickleball has been gaining popularity so it makes sense that the Sunrise Optimist Club of Yuma picked this game for its next fundraiser. Club member Howard Blitz explained how the fundraiser came to be.
“Sunrise Optimist of Yuma was looking for an activity to help kids, because our whole point, our whole focus, is to help the kids in our community, either through scholarships, through speech contests associated with scholarships. We do a bowling fundraiser for ADVOKATE Foundation in the fall,” Blitz said.
“We were looking for something in the spring, and so one of our members suggested pickleball. And I knew somebody that was very heavily into pickleball. And she, Elizabeth Huyck, picked up on it, and she’s been an absolute godsend for putting this tournament together. And so we’re off to the races, and we’re going to help the Special Olympics with this one.”
The club picked the Special Olympics because “it just seemed like a good fit for us,” especially after Mandy Evans, director of the River Area Special Olympics Arizona, made a presentation at a club meeting.
“We helped sponsor their breakfast in the fall, and we were just so impressed with what they do and how they help the kids, and it just coincided with what our whole mission is,” Blitz said.
He credits Larry Lebsock, vice president of the local club, with coming up with the pickleball idea.
“This pickleball thing has really taken off,” Blitz noted. “We’re still getting people who want to play, but we have to turn them down. I think next year, it’s gonna be bigger than this year. We may have to go to multiple weekends.”
After the tournament, the club will hold a clinic for the Special Olympics folks. “We have a little clinic for them so that they can get an idea of what pickleball is all about,” Blitz said.
He noted that the Sunrise Optimist Club of Yuma is very proud to be an organizer of this event. “We’re excited that we get to donate all the money raised to the Special Olympics. So excited about that,” he said.
“We’re all jazzed about it. Everybody seems to be very, very upbeat on this whole thing. April seems to be a good time. It’s a good time of the year. I think the weather’s going to hold for us. It’s going to be a fun time.”