SHARING THE LOVE OF
PICKLEBALL WITH THE SUN CITY
GRAND CLUB IN ARIZONA
P
artnering with Dave
Weinbach, the Sun City
Grand Pickleball Club
hosted its inaugural
“Sharing the Pickleball Love Charity
and Pro Player” tournament in
mid-December at its beautiful 22
individually fenced court complex
in Surprise, Arizona.
With the event running from
Friday to Sunday, festivities got
underway on Wednesday with a pre-
tournament feature on AZTV, a local
television station, with host Brad
Perry—who not only tried his hand
at pickleball, but also conducted
numerous interviews with “The
Badger” and representatives from
some of the tourney’s sponsors.
On Thursday, an exhibition was
staged featuring some of the game’s
top men’s and women’s professional
players showcasing their talents
in front of a crowd of about 400
spectators who were not only
entertained by the stellar play on
the court but also enjoyed free pizza,
wings, desserts and drinks.
Later on in the day, the City of
Surprise mayor, Skip Hall, spoke to
the gathered crowd and then, on
the venue’s championship court, a
dedication was presented to Jan and
Bill Booth, founders of the Sun City
Grand Pickleball Club.
Friday was Women’s Doubles Day
with 14 Age/Skill Level brackets and
one Women’s PRO 19+.
Total Number = 234 women, 117 teams.
Women’s Pro 19+ winners:
Gold – Irina Tereschenko & Jessie Irvine
Silver – Lindsey Newman & Callie Smith
Bronze – Kasandra Gehrke & Taylor Uhl
Saturday morning got underway
with another media appearance,
this time the JV Sports Show on
1060AM in Phoenix doing a live
remote broadcast courtside.
Weinbach delighted the crowd with
his shot-making abilities and lively
banter on air.
Men’s action proved to be just
as exciting, with 16 Age/Skill Level
Brackets and two Men’s Pro 19+
and 50+.
Total Number = 262 men, 131 teams.
Men’s Pro 19+ winners:
Gold – Riley Newman & Adam Stone
Silver – Steve Deakin & Jeffrey Warnick
Bronze – Dave Weinbach & Altaf Merchant
Men’s Pro 50+ winners:
Gold – Kevin Booth & Mills Miller
Silver – Thunder Lopez & Steve Cole
Bronze – David Overmoyer & Larry Lam
Sunday was Mixed Doubles Day
with 15 Age/Skill Level brackets and
two Mixed Pro 19+ and 50+.
Total Number = 284 players, 142 teams.
Mixed Pro 19+ winners:
Gold – Lindsey Newman & Riley Newman
Silver – Jessie Irvine & Jeffrey Warnick
Bronze – Irina Tereschenko & Adam Stone
Mixed Pro 50+ winners:
Gold – Lisa Naumu & Thunder Lopez
Silver – Kim Jagd & Steve Cole
Bronze – Stephanie Lane & Mills Miller
The professionals were playing for
a purse of $15,000 while proceeds
from the event were donated to the
following charities.
Soldiers Best Friend – pairing wounded
veterans with service dogs.
Chance Shelter – helping folks in crisis who
need assistance with their pets.
Valley View Community Food Bank –
serving meals to thousands of West Valley
families.
The Sun City Grand Pickleball
Club with its 1,425 members
has always been a caring and
giving organization that continually
strives to help its members and
their surrounding communities.
In the past, the Club has helped
neighboring schools and conducted
clinics for their deaf members,
which enabled them to play in
club activities. Many of the Club’s
members received AED first aid
training throughout 2019 and
incredibly saved six individuals’
lives. •
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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 |
MAGAZINE
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