Pickleball tournament to smash cancer, serve hope

The Cancer Support Association, a club started by Whitefish High School students last fall, is hosting a pickleball tournament at Smith Fields on Saturday, June 21 to raise money for WINGS Regional Cancer Support. The public is encouraged to join in the fun by playing or spectating. 

Cole Moses, soon-to-be Whitefish senior and co-president of the club, saw an opportunity to lead the way in organizing an all-inclusive sporting event to benefit those in need.  

“The great thing about pickleball is it brings in such a wide variety of people, from the youngins to the older,” Moses said. “It’s inclusive, all demographics, any gender – you can go out on the court and have a good time."

Moses utilized marketing skills he developed during his work-based internship with National Parks Realty to help organize and maximize the event’s impact.  

Moses said that during the internship, the realtors, which he described as authentic and full of wisdom, asked him about their reputation from a high schooler’s perspective. 

“I was blunt,” he said. “I told them the younger generations are not involved and do not know of them.” 

He was then reading a bit of Napoleon Hill, an early 20th century self-help author, for inspiration when the idea started brewing. 

Hill talked about taking opportunity and improvement, he said. 

“And then I was playing pickleball with my buddies, just talking about how Whitefish needs a pickleball event ... I took the opportunity.”  

So Moses pitched a sponsorship to National Parks Realty, to not just raise awareness for charity, but to also bring the agency beneficial publicity, show community engagement, and to invest in the younger community, he said.  

Choosing the benefactors took a bit of strategy, too. The club decided to donate WINGS for their annual fundraiser at the end of the year for a chance to have the funds matched.  

The tournament is about half full right now, with a maximum of 32 team slots that the students hope will fill soon. Participants can sign up in teams of two for $40 total.  

It’s shaping up to be a true competition with a $500 prize for first place, $250 for second, and $100 for third on the line. 

Spectators are encouraged to come by and see vendors, chat with students from the Cancer Support Association club, and watch some good pickleball. Play starts at 10 a.m. and the final sunset championship will take place around 7:30 p.m. 

The students are still looking for a couple of food vendors to participate. 

Sign up using the Google form https://forms.gle/chM1h5BWzgdEUNvS7