Members of the Lake Havasu Pickleball Association and local businesses are showing their love for pickleball by raising money to replace the courts at the ARK Center, operated by Stonebridge Christian Fellowship Church.
The Pickleball Association has more than 400 members who play on Havasu's indoor and outdoor courts, participate in special events such as Picklefest, and help raise funds for the facility.
Janie Morris, president of the association, said it's all about fellowship and making connections.
“Being social, getting to know people, going through the ups and downs of life together, supporting each other and spending time together even when we're not playing pickleball,” Morris said.
The association had its early beginnings at the ARK Center, which was built more than a decade ago before pickleball became popular.
Then church members brought it into the community.
“Two people who were church members, Tim and Carol Weaver, decided to introduce pickleball,” Morris said. “They found it in California, brought it here, and started offering pickleball lessons at the ARK Center.”
Like many, Morris got her first taste of the sport at the center when she attended lessons with her husband.
“We heard about something called pickleball, and they were teaching it at the ARK Center,” Morris said. “We came in January 2016, took our first lesson, and that was it.”
Around the same time, an association was founded.
“There were no pickleball courts outside or anywhere in town,” Morris said. “So we founded the Lake Havasu City Pickleball Association. Our mission is to foster the growth and development of pickleball in Lake Havasu City, and that means finding a place to play. Masu.”
The association's first goal was to raise money to build an outdoor court, and the Dick Sump Memorial Park complex was completed last February.
Now the focus is returning to where it all began at Ark Center, with the association partnering with churches.
“We pay to play, just like we do at the Aquatic Center,” Morris said. “All proceeds from each session go directly to the church, so they go towards the upkeep and operating costs of this building that we use.”
Members use the courts to play five days a week from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Volunteers will help set up the courts, run them, and finally take everything down.
But Morris said it's difficult to play on the ARK courts because of the indented floor.
“We want to replace the flooring and make it a better pickleball experience for everyone,” Morris said. “And there are other things that would benefit from a better floor, not just pickleball, but basketball and volleyball.”
After agreeing to raise money to replace the church floor, the association began a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising the money by April or May, ahead of the summer heat.
“This is now a sport that can be enjoyed by all age groups, so we are seeing more working people and children playing this sport, which means they can play it after work or They need a place to play on the weekends and things like that,” Morris said.
The goal is to raise $35,000 for this project. So far, $10,000 has been donated, half from private organizations and the other half from Anderson Toyota.
Anderson Toyota Marketing Director Andrea Foote stopped by the ARK Center Tuesday morning to present a check to the association.
Foote said she is excited to be a part of playing with herself, her husband and the owners of Anderson Toyota.
“We're involved in a lot of things and we love to give back. And this is a sport that's growing so much. I don't think people really understand that unless they compete. ” Foote said. “It's huge.”
Morris said he will now launch a campaign to raise money on his website and work to reach out to other companies. For more information, please visit: lakehavasupickleball.com.
“I just want them to be successful. I want them to be successful. And we love pickleball in this town,” Morris said.
