Residents from the tri-state area played pickleball last month to raise money for the South Jersey Dream Center, a nonprofit that fights poverty.
Pickleball players competed in the fifth annual Pickleball Against Poverty Tournament at the Players Courtyard Pickleball Club in Moorestown last month to help raise funds for the South Jersey Dream Center.
The center, founded in 2010, exists to help break the vicious cycle of poverty in people’s lives “from the inside out.” As a faith-based organization, its mission is to offer people options to change their status quo, discover their “God-given purpose” and value and develop skills to reach their full potential.
Last year, the dream center distributed more than 135,000 pounds of resources. There were more than 13,000 interactions with guests who received food, clothing, baby items, personal-hygiene items and cleaning supplies. More than 4,500 volunteer hours were served and more than 375 partners donated finances, food, clothing baby items and more.
“This is for a great cause,” said Natalie Fortunato, the center’s executive director. “But it’s so much fun and it’s a great community of people. I think that one of the reasons why pickleball is so popular is because the people are so nice … When I introduced the idea of creating a fundraiser tournament, people loved it and were eager to help support our mission.”
The South Jersey Dream Center’s executive director, Natalie Fortunato, greeted pickleball players before the tournament.
As of last year, the average age of a pickleball player is 35, according to PickleRage. An estimated 36.5 million Americans have played the sport at least once, and more than 70% of them are between the ages of 18 and 44, making pickleball one of the most popular sports among young adults.
Participation has soared by nearly 223% over the past three years. The 66-year-old Fortunato took her first lesson on her 60th birthday and the more she played, the more she met a wonderful community of people.
“It’s a smaller court than tennis but it’s still hard,” she explained. “It’s not easy, (but) I really enjoy the social aspect of the game and the camaraderie among players. It keeps you healthy – if you do it right – and it keeps you active.”
The event raised more than $35,000 for the dream center through registration fees and sponsorships, not including funds from the 50/50 raffle and silent auction. Lead sponsors this year are West Deptford Energy in Paulsboro, the Zallie Community Foundation in Medford and Holman in Mount Laurel.
For more information on the center, visit its website or social media.
