5 th Annual
PICKLEBALL FOR HEROES
Our Veterans
Honors
O
n Aug. 24 & 25, pickleball players and spectators came together at APEX
Pickleball Courts in Arvada, CO, for the 5th Annual Pickleball for Heroes
Tournament.
Since 2014, the annual event has raised almost $300,000, all through
volunteer efforts, for Operation TBI Freedom, a program at Craig Hospital
in Colorado. The hospital specializes in traumatic brain and spinal cord
injuries and caters to veterans. And, regardless of means, Craig’s policy is to never
turn anyone away.
So often veterans return from conflict with traumatic brain injuries that can make
the transition to civilian life especially difficult. Operation TBI Freedom offers
individualized, relationship-oriented case management with certified brain injury
specialists. The staff provides veterans with crisis and suicide prevention counseling,
emergency funding, employment and education assistance, mental and medical
health referrals and support, outdoor recreation/therapy, adaptive equipment and a
variety of psychosocial educational programming, including financial management
and parenting classes.
Co-founded by the beloved Pickleball Ken (Ken Marquardt), Pickleball for Heroes
is unique in that 100 percent of all proceeds raised by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization goes straight to Craig’s traumatic brain
injury program for veterans.
“We have an anonymous donor who takes care of any
administrative fees, so all proceeds go to the heroes
instead of toward administrative costs,” Marquardt
says. “And I’m really proud of that because all of the
money should go to the heroes, not administrative
costs. It’s sincerely a privilege to be involved with this
organization.”
He adds, “This is a year-round endeavor for us and we
raise funds through other means, not just pickleball. Our
goal for this year is $1 million.” •
PHOTOS BY DOUG SEITER AND MARY ANN HUNT
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