First Pickleball Tournament in Planning Stages

Pickleball bounced into Grove City about five years ago and quickly amassed a dedicated community of players passionate about the game. I give a great deal of credit to this group of residents for encouraging and supporting the City as we embraced the sport’s rapidly growing popularity.

With their involvement, it didn’t take long for the City to open a state-ofthe-art, lighted pickleball complex in Windsor Park. This spring, the Park at Beulah pickleball complex will open to the public with seven courts, including one with spectator seating for championship matches.

With some of the most premier facilities and our welcoming pickleball community of players, Grove City is the perfect location for a regional tournament. I am pleased to share we will hold the First Mayor’s Cup Pickleball Tournament this summer, August 1-6. This inaugural event is a great opportunity to share the love of a game with the love for our community.

Proceeds from the tournament will benefit LifeCare Alliance, to help provide services and care that keep older adults and individuals with medical challenges living independently and safely in their own homes. As a nonprofit organization, LifeCare Alliance relies on the generosity of businesses and individuals in the communities it serves to fund their nutrition and health services, home-living support and social enterprises.

Several local organizations provide financial support, such as the Grove City Cancer Thrift Shop, 3684 Garden Court, a long-time supporter of LifeCare Alliance’s Columbus Cancer Clinic. Last year they donated $73,000 – the most they have donated in their 51 years of business – thanks to the generous patrons who frequent the store.

One of the City’s annual fundraising events is the Mayor’s Cup Golf Outing, which over 35 years has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for LifeCare Alliance’s nutrition programs, where in 2021 alone volunteers and staff delivered a total of 1,264,815 meals to 7,194 clients.

We’re excited to add the Mayor’s Cup Pickleball Tournament to the list of fun events designed to support the vital services LifeCare Alliance provides.

While specifics are still being determined, the tournament will serve up plenty of chances to participate, donate or simply cheer on the players. In the meantime, pick your paddle, work on your dink shot and brush up on your pickleball terminology.

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By Tyler Kirkendall