MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Using pickleball for a greater cause
Member combines love of sport with mission to alleviate hunger
by STEPHEN HUNT
RED LINE EDITORIAL
When Rick Meyer and his wife moved to Florida 15 years ago , he wanted to make a positive impact in his new state . After meeting the executive director and founder of Provision Packs , a community-based initiative aimed at helping alleviate child hunger , he adopted feeding hungry children as his cause .
“ I wanted to connect some type of athletic event with feeding kids ,” Meyer , 75 , said .
So he took up boxing . Then he got knocked out , and his wife made him give up the sport . So he took up powerlifting instead . His efforts were successful and he continued to raise money through sporting endeavors . Now that includes pickleball .
Meyer started playing pickleball in 2022 . He quickly learned the sport and started to focus on how he could utilize it to raise money for hungry children .
A skilled tennis player in college , Meyer picked up the basics of pickleball quickly .
He entered the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket event in Miami earlier this year . He won a Golden Ticket in the 75 + 3.5 skill level bracket , qualifying for the 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships . Then in April , he played in the Minto US Open Pickleball Championships . Since playing in those two events , he ’ s found other ways to raise funds for Provision Packs , which now feeds 1,000 children weekly . Selkirk sent him five paddles , which he then auctioned off , raising $ 3,000 . Meyer also recently hosted a local tournament with the proceeds going to Provision Packs .
“ I figured if I got 50 people , that would be good ,” he said . “ We had to turn away people .”
Even though he ’ s only played pickleball for a couple years , he immediately noticed something special and unique about his new sport .
“ It is a community ,” Meyer said . “ I start out every fundraising meeting ( asking ), has anybody heard of pickleball ? Of course , everybody raises their hands .
“ How many of you have played ? Half raise their hands . How many of you want to play ? The other half . You get their attention and go through our program . It ( pickleball and feeding kids ) is a good marriage .”
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