Pickleball Magazine 3-3 | Page 16

dinks Bits of News in Pickleball USAPA & ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL — PARTNERING FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW I t was after midnight in the emergency room when Katie’s parents received the news. Their youngest daughter—a bright, vivacious, funny and sweet girl had been diagnosed with a type of brain cancer called medulloblastoma. Katie’s parents began to research the best place to go for medical care and treatment and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital popped up at the top of every search. St. Jude is one of the few pediatric hospitals in the nation that offers proton therapy, which provides the benefits of traditional radiation, but with fewer side effects. St. Jude is where doctors often send their toughest cases, because St. Jude has the world’s best survival rates for some of the most aggressive forms of childhood cancer. Today, Katie is 11 years old, and is an affectionate and bubbly girl. “Thanks to St. Jude and its gracious supporters, we have our precious Katie to make us laugh, live, and beautify our world.” The USAPA partnership with St. Jude is helping patients like Katie every day. Because of partners like you, St. Jude is able to fulfill our mission that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food—because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. If you have an upcoming tournament or event, and would like to create your own fundraiser for St. Jude, please reach out to your St. Jude team at 1.800.457.2444, or email specialevents@ stjude.org and we’ll help you get started. 14 TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 888.308.3720 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM WILSON ENTERS EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH ENGAGE W ilson Sporting Goods has chosen Engage Pickleball under an exclusive partnership to design and manufacture its paddles. The company chose Engage because of its success and leadership position in the marketplace, along with Engage’s reputation for creating leading performance-based, premium paddles. Engage says all Wilson paddles will be made to the same standards as Engage’s current paddles. However, Engage will continue to innovate with cutting-edge engineering technology exclusive only to its paddles. The Wilson paddles will be branded Wilson by Engage Pickleball. Engage will design and manufacture Wilson paddles in the United States in the same plants where Engage makes its own paddles. Engage will continue to design, manufacture and market its own line of paddles, in addition to manufacturing Wilson pickleball paddles. This partnership will make Engage the largest manufacturer of pickleball paddles in the market. It will continue to sell its own line of Engage branded paddles while Wilson will sell its own Wilson by Engage Pickleball branded paddles via its channels.