Community support was on full display as the Bea Fisher Group of Companies wrapped up its third annual pickleball tournament at the Servus Sports Centre on Oct. 3 and 4, marking the event’s largest turnout to date.
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The two-day fundraiser brought together 117 teams, showcasing significant year-over-year growth for the event. The inaugural tournament featured 46 teams over a single day, while last year’s event grew to 80 teams across two days.
Kim Crockett, marketing and business development coordinator for the Bea Fisher Centre, attributed much of this year’s success to increased community collaboration and logistics support.
“I think when I talk about success, it’s success just in terms of getting the visibility out for both Bea Fisher and pickleball within the community,” Crockett said. “We recognize that the sport might be relatively newer in this area, but it’s really taking these big growth steps, which is pretty cool to see.”
The Bea Fisher Centre partnered with the Pickleball Association of Lloydminster, which provided assistance with planning, player recruitment, and event administration.
Sponsorship support also remained strong, with the majority of court and lounge sponsors returning.
“We did not have any difficulty filling the sponsorships,” Crockett said. “There’s a ton of good exposure, and it’s just a feel-good event—a good one to be associated with.”
In addition to tournament play, attendees were treated to a expanded lunch-by-donation program, supported by several local community members and businesses. Volunteer efforts included homemade pies baked by Barb Russell and her family, homemade soup prepared by members of the United Church, and supplies and potato bacon soup contributed by Andrew Nicholson of Relate Distributing.
“These are the sorts of things that are coming out of the woodwork as recognition and word-of-mouth grow,” Crockett said. “People are recognizing it and asking how they can get involved.”
Proceeds raised from the tournament are slated to support two main capital projects for the organization:
Care Home Renovation: Funding will help renovate a basement suite at one of the organization’s residential care homes to better suit the accessibility needs of its resident. Construction is planned to begin in January.
Transportation Fleet: Funds will also assist in acquiring a compact, economical passenger van for able-bodied clients. This addition will help lower travel costs for out-of-town appointments compared to operating larger, wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
Crockett expressed gratitude for the dedicated volunteers who made the event possible.
“It’s not just a matter of recruiting a bunch of volunteers, but it’s recruiting the right volunteers — taking whatever role they’ve got, owning it, and doing a bang-up job,” Crockett said. “I think right across the board, we found people willing to step forward who did an amazing job.”
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