New sports centre steps up to salvage, host 24-hour pickleball tourney fundraiser

Two hundred people from across western Canada will play pickleball for 24 hours this weekend as a fundraiser for Alberta Lung.

Arjun Sharma was scrolling through news on his phone one evening this past October when he came across a story about an Alberta non-profit charity forced to postpone its fundraising pickleball tournament because the facility they had booked to use was closing.

Lo and behold, Sharma is one of the facility directors of a new, private sports facility, the Edmonton Sports Centre, that at the time was a few weeks away from opening.

“I talked about it with our partners, and for us, it was a no-brainer that we would like to step in and ensure that the event still happens,” he told CTV News Edmonton on Friday of helping salvage Alberta Lung’s Jan. 23-24 dates for Feisty Pickles 24-Hour Pickleball Challenge.

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Pickleball is one of the sports communities the southside indoor facility caters to with its courts – basketball, volleyball and badminton are others – as well as to athletes seeking turf for sports such as cricket and flag football.

Sharma said after getting the centre’s pickleball director involved, they were able to contact Alberta Lung and eventually take on the tournament.

Alberta Lung first held the tournament three years ago. This year is the first time they’re running it around the clock for 24 hours.

Leigh Allard, the president and chief executive officer of Alberta Lung, said she believes it will be the first time in Canada someone will hold a 24-hour pickleball tournament.

Twelve teams are taking part. As of Friday afternoon, just over $90,000 of the tournament’s $100,000 goal had been raised.

“Actual teams will play for 24 hours,” Allard told CTV News Edmonton on Friday. “Not everybody at once, but they’ll play continuously. It’s the first that we can find in Canada, let alone the world, that this many people – close to 200 – will be playing for 24 hours.”

The tournament begins next Friday at 7 p.m. People are encouraged to come watch at the sports centre, which features a lounge with food and drink, and a games area.

“There are lots of fun things that people can do while cheering people on all through the day and night,” Allard said. “Come any time, come down and bring donations. We really need thesupport. We’re almost at our goal.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson