Our team, Paddles for Battles, hosted a charity pickleball tournament in August of last year with only two goals: helping to unite our community, while also helping give back to our community. We started with the simple goal of wanting to bring friends and family together for some fun tournament play, but we saw the opportunity in our idea and immediately pounced on it. We ended up seeing participation from over 16 teams and raised over $500 for our beneficiary, The Newburgh Ministry.

This year, we plan on hosting our second annual event in mid-late May 2025 in Delano Hitch Park on the renovated basketball courts that are available to rent. We are starting our advertising push now, with social media content and physical flyers in communal spaces around Newburgh. We are also contacting potential sponsors or vendors willing to set up stands around the basketball courts. Local public figures such as council members and the mayor will be informed of the event and we will send out a friendly invite if they want to come out and speak a few words. Live music from local performers, a fun day with an easy-to-pick-up, low-effort sport like pickleball accessible to all ages, and local artisans and businesses as vendors and food!