Gilmer players join in nationwide 9/11 marathon
Gilmer County pickleball players took to the courts last Saturday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11/2001 attacks and feed local first responders.
Rec. department courts at River Park and indoor courts at Victory Christian Center played host to the daylong event that was part of The Great American Pickleball Marathon, a nationwide fundraising effort held from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday.
“They played at the county courts in the morning while it was cool. When it got warmer, they moved over to our facility in the afternoon,” said Bryan Bogue, Victory Christian Center director.
The national beneficiary of pickleball marathons held across the U.S. was The Wounded Blue, a nonprofit that assists first responders injured in the line of duty. Funds could also be could use to benefit community police and fire departments, noted Cathy Anderson, who organized the local pickleball event.
Money raised here through event t-shirt sales and donations bought Marco’s Pizza for all county and city police and fire/rescue departments, said Anderson. Almost 65 pickleballers played throughout the day, she added.
“We had three different groupings (that) played in the morning, afternoon and into the evening. Marco’s gave us good deals, and we fed 53 responders pizza and salads,” said Anderson, who noted that $410 was also raised for The Wounded Blue.
Bogue said Victory Christian’s pickleball courts have been getting a lot of use lately, and the multipurpose facility was happy to donate them for the fundraiser.
“Our mission is to elevate our community through Christ-driven education, recreation and assembly. Because Christ taught us that it’s better to serve than to be served, this was just a very small way that we could serve the men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line for us everyday,” he said.
Anderson, a volunteer pickleball ambassador for Gilmer County under the direction of the USA Pickleball Association, said popularity of the sport — a mixture of tennis, badminton and ping pong — is growing by leaps and bounds.
“They have volunteer ambassadors to grow the sport, do tournaments and teach people how to play. It’s great for all ages and probably the friendliest sport I’ve ever seen,” she added. “The average game time is 18 minutes, and the court is a third of the size of a tennis court. It’s like standing on a ping-pong table and playing.”
Anderson, who recently moved here from Cobb County, is glad the pastime could be used to show appreciation on a day when many Americans stopped to remember the lives lost and forever changed by attacks on the World Trade Center towers, Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93.
“I think it was a good success because of the short notice we had and having not done (a pickleball marathon) here before. We had a very good response from the people, and the first responders were so grateful. I’m a firm believer in supporting our first responders. I just can’t say enough good things about them,” Anderson said.