Mundare Volunteers Rallying Behind the Sport of Pickleball

Mundare Volunteers Rallying Behind the Sport of Pickleball

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

Invented in the mid-1960s, Pickleball is now one of the fastest-growing sports in North America. It’s popularity is rising and a group of volunteers in Mundare are raising money so they can enjoy the sport in their own community. Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. Trisha Ming-Brison, who heads up the group of volunteers, said they decided pickleball courts would be a great addition to the existing Quentin Warawa Memorial Park and have already begun fundraising for the project.

Officially, Ming-Brison is the President of the Mundare Parks Society and said members decided pickleball as it is a sport that any age and any ability can play. “I have an aunt who plays in a league in the Yukon and she has faced some opponents who use walkers and canes that play remarkably hold their own on the court. So it really is suitable for almost all ages regardless of mobility.”

Members also felt pickleball courts would be a nice fit for the Quentin Warawa Memorial Park which contains a spray park and a skateboard park within it.

The estimated cost of the project is $70,000 and members have applied for a few grants, and are waiting on replies. They recently completed their first Liquor Survivor fundraiser, and Ming-Brison was happy to report it was a sell-out. Based on that success, they are planning to do another one sometime this fall.

“The town and surrounding communities have been enthusiastic in their support for this project, so we anticipate it will receive a lot of use.”

She went on to say, “Our official committee name is Mundare Parks Society. Most of the members of the Mundare Parks Society used to be members of the Mundare Parks Committee.” They changed the name of the group in order to be eligible to apply for certain grants.

“We have been in existence for approximately 14 years. It started with raising funds for our Spray Park. That was our biggest project and cost us approximately $250,000. We then put in a Skate Park that cost approximately $55,000. We then filled the demand for a park structure in Whitetail, (subdivision), and added a toddler play structure at the Spray Park. The total of those two projects was approximately $65,000.

“We have the most amazing crew of people working on this board. They are so good I often feel like I haven’t done anything. Cheryl Calinoiu is the Vice President, Shannon Kowal is the Treasurer, Deanna Kobbero is the Secretary. Michele Schuler is the go-to person who applies for all the grants and funding. Jaime Burghardt and Colin Zyla complete this dynamic crew. We have so much fun with our projects and have been together for many years fundraising.