Sun City Pickleball Club’s Project 150 Charity Tournament a Big Success

Though the morning air was brisk, eager volunteers arrived early on Saturday to set up for the Sun City Pickleball Club’s Project 150 Charity Tournament. Held on April 5 and 6 at the Desert Vista pickleball courts, the tournament brought together 100 enthusiastic players—60 of whom traveled from outside Sun City—highlighting once again why our event is a favorite among Las Vegas players. Patti Chess, a visiting player and member of Southern Nevada Pickleball, shared, “I love your club’s tournaments. It’s fun pickleball, and you’re the only senior community supporting a charity.”

The club has proudly hosted about twelve charity tournaments for the past eight years. This spring, all proceeds benefited Project 150, a local nonprofit that provides free support and services to homeless, displaced, and disadvantaged high school students in Southern Nevada, helping them stay in school and graduate.

Organizing a tournament of this scale takes a true team effort. Tournament directors Bruce and Amy Coleman expertly managed registration, bracket setup, and match format. They were supported by 28 dedicated volunteers from both the club and Project 150, filling vital roles in scorekeeping, check-in, lunch service, first aid, and raffle coordination.  Special thanks to Peg Albrecht, Jeff Ramsey, Mary Lazarus, and Joan Ladley, who served as court ambassadors—an essential role in ensuring smooth gameplay. Rich Bezila ran the tournament desk and kept score online.  Jeff, a longtime volunteer, said, “I’m happy to volunteer for such a great cause as Project 150, using my tournament experience from helping and supporting our Toys for Tots events.”  We’re also grateful to our maintenance team for preparing both our 10 permanent courts and four temporary ones at the Desert Vista tennis courts.

The event kicked off at 8:30 a.m. Saturday with a warm welcome, the national anthem, and a heartfelt introduction to Project 150 by Stacy Chapter, Community Outreach Manager, who shared the organization’s mission and impact.

Women’s Doubles Highlights
The tournament began with Women’s Doubles, with 21 teams competing across three divisions: 25/3.0, 3.5, and 4.0/4.5. Despite breezy conditions, the women displayed impressive determination and sportsmanship. Club member medalists included:
•    Women’s 4.0/4.5
Bronze – Cathy Rohaly & Kathy Morris
•    Women’s 3.5
Silver – Denise Schwarz & Sonja Waterworth
Bronze – Andrea King & Katie Neumann

Men’s Doubles Action
The men took the courts at 1:00 p.m., competing in the 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0/4.5 divisions. Club member medalists included:
•    Men’s 4.0/4.5
Silver – Chris Parker & Tim Campbell
Bronze – Nick Rohaly & Roger Morris
•    Men’s 3.5
Silver – Rob Leonard & partner
Bronze – Patrick Garcia & Jody Pollak
•    Men’s 3.0
Bronze – Earl Stitt & partner
Congratulations to Evan Stanko, who won gold in the Men’s 4.0/4.5 division. Evan is also the owner of G.O.A.T. Pickleball store, our lead sponsor. Additional thanks go to Las Vegas Indoor Pickleball, Chicken N Pickle, and Popcorn Girl for their generous support.

Mixed Doubles Competition
Sunday’s matches featured 24 teams across four divisions: 2.5/3.0, 3.5 (ages 19–59), 3.5 (60+), and 4.0. The competition was spirited, and sportsmanship was on full display. Club member medalists included:
•    Mixed 2.5/3.0
Bronze – Irene Spoegler & Patrick Garcia

Beyond the Court
Thanks to David Wight, players enjoyed hotdog lunches both days. The tournament also featured 13 raffle baskets valued between $150 and $200, which drew enthusiastic participation from players and spectators alike. Raffle ticket sales brought in $1,375.

Leading up to the event, the club hosted a food drive over two weekends, collecting canned and boxed food for Project 150’s free student store and weekly meal bags for local families. During the tournament, we also collected cereal donations. In total, we gathered 500 pounds of food and 83 boxes of cereal.

A Community Triumph
All tournament registration fees, raffle proceeds, and direct donations went to Project 150, resulting in an impressive $10,000 raised for the organization.  It was a phenomenal weekend—filled with competitive play, community spirit, and heartfelt generosity. We’re proud of our club’s efforts and look forward to many more successful charity tournaments ahead.