Dink For Pink Shootout: Huge Success!
The following report is brought to you from tournament organizer Chris Rusc…
On Sunday October 29, 2023, we held the Dink For Pink shootout at Emma Willard to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Thank you to ALL that came out and spent their Sunday with us. We had 48 (actually 49) wonderful players on 12 teams participate in this Team-style event. It was an all-day affair, with gameplay starting at 9:30am and finishing around 5pm. There were raffle prizes, food, and great camaraderie. In total, we raised over $2,000 for the BCRF charity which is just spectacular!
Before announcing the winners, I want to thank some people. THANK YOU to Melissa, Dan, Caren, and Sunish for their help over the last few weeks and during the day to make this tournament a success. THANK YOU to the other numerous players that helped out throughout the day on capturing scores, organizing the raffles, decorating, and so on so that we could finish close to schedule. THANK YOU to all of the donors and sponsors: Caren Price, Evan Wilson, Cookie Therapy ALB, PickleballGalaxy, Brook Bound Inn, Lakeside Farms Cider Mill, Chick-fil-A, Gearbox Pickleball, and Emma Willard School. Without your generosity, this event would not have been successful.
After 5 hours of play, we ended up with the Gold Medal matches in both the Intermediate and Advanced divisions. Here are the Top 3 Teams after all was said and done:
Intermediate Division
GOLD: Pam Hume, Michelle Jones, Bob Chu, Kyle Smith
SILVER: Kathleen Brown, Nancy Barden, John Spence, Don Schneider
BRONZE: Pat Davenport, Deb McGuinness, Cody Silverman, Ryan Kass
Advanced Division
GOLD: Nan Lanahan, Judy Carnavos, Elaine Heekin, Dan Arnold, Matt Waterfield
SILVER: Susan Hallett, Ria Van Niekirk, Kevin Schwenzfeier, Joe Schember
BRONZE: AJ Labate, Kim VanVloodorp Taylor, Subba Bogathi, Jack Rybaltowski
Most of all, thank you to ALL the players who came out on Sunday. We had a wonderful tournament. The camaraderie, passion, and care for one another was second-to-none! We had some great rallies. We made new friends. We had some good food and laughs. We raised money for a great cause. Breast Cancer has affected my mom, family, friends, and the lives of many near and far. We will find a cure. Beyond grateful for this pickleball community!
