FROM THE USAPA
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Summer is coming to an end and all of us who are RVers are heading back home or to a winter destination . Traveling this summer with our 17-year-old granddaughter has been such a pleasure and an inspiration that the younger generation has a lot to offer .
While it was such a pleasure for us , it also reminded Nancy and me of another trip we made back in May , to Memphis , Tennessee . We were there , along with Justin Maloof ( USAPA Executive Director ) and Tennessee District
DAVID JORDAN
Ambassador Mike Morgan , to visit and tour the St . Jude Children ’ s Hospital . It ’ s a place where children who have been afflicted with cancer come for a level of treatment they can get nowhere else . To say this is a place where miracles happen would be an understatement . We were left in awe at the work that is done for these children and their families — with absolutely no cost to them whatsoever .
While on our tour , it was very evident that research is an important role of the hospital ’ s mission and why it is so successful in the development of cures for childhood cancer . To say the least it was an inspirational tour and we all came away with a sense of how blessed we were and asked ourselves what we can do to help . Of course , pickleball was our answer and it is why we decided to ask the USAPA Board if they would help .
We asked , as an organization , could we join the fight and adopt St . Jude as our national charity . With Board approval , the USAPA will now work with St . Jude and our pickleball families across the U . S . to help in the fight against childhood cancer . You will hear more about this new partnership in the months to come . And be sure to visit the St . Jude ’ s booth at National VIII .
Pickleball is a sport that has grown because people like you have been willing to give of their time and energy to make it the sport it is today . With your help , we can assist St . Jude in the fight against childhood cancer . Please contact me ( president @ usapa . org ) or Vice President Jack Thomas ( ambassadorchair @ usapa . org ) with your ideas on how pickleball can ” play ” it forward so someday these children can also enjoy being on the pickleball courts of this great country .
NEW USAPA AMBASSADORS
NEW AMBASSADORS : Danny Blevins . . . . . Clay County , FL Don Boll . . . . . . . . . . Bottineau , ND Ray Bowman . . . . . . Cathedral City , CA Rob Boyd . . . . . . . . . . Rossland , BC Larry Burke . . . . . . . . Sante Fe , NM Thomas Burkart . . . . Rancho Murietta , CA Paula Carter . . . . . . . Mayodan , NC Robert Chan . . . . . . . San Francisco , CA Dick Duckett . . . . . . . Melbourne-Eau Gallie , FL Joe Gilmore . . . . . . . . Williamson County , TN Jan Gradle . . . . . . . . . Prescott Valley , AZ David Graham . . . . . Marlton-Mt . Laurel , NJ
Carol Harpster . . . . . Brunswick County South , NC
Margaret Hickman . . Decatur , IL Janet Hirst . . . . . . . . . Decatur , IL John Jessen . . . . . . . . Stillwater , OK Harriet Kalin . . . . . . . Palm Beach County , FL Lonnie Kojima . . . . . Orange County South , CA Gregory Krolczyk . . . Palm Bay , FL Robert LeBlanc . . . . . Massena , NY Craig Lovasz . . . . . . . St . Charles , MO Marcy Lynch . . . . . . . Montgomeryville , PA Al Montero . . . . . . . . Ewa Beach , HI Gary Odle . . . . . . . . . Havelock , NC Barb Patterson . . . . . North Austin , TX
Steve / Karen Pfanenstiel . . . . . . Baldwinsville , NY
David Rollins . . . . . . . Steuben County , IN Kerry Straw . . . . . . . . Lewisberry , PA Alan Thompson . . . . Fredericton , NB Bill Voight . . . . . . . . . Burr Ridge , IL
If you are interested in being an ambassador to help promote pickleball in your region , visit usapa . org .
6 TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 724.942.0940 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG . COM