April 15, 2021/Member News

USA Pickleball Members Provide Pickleball Equipment to U.S. Troops

On February 13th the Peachtree City-Fayette Pickleball Club hosted a tournament in their area to raise funds and collect donated items to support the troops at Camp Arifjan, a United States Army installation in Kuwait which accommodates elements of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard.

The desire to host this tournament was because when a husband of one of the club members, Colonel Augusto Casado, had arrived to Camp Arifjan in December 2020, there was a lost of interest in the game of pickleball. Many troops were playing on their courts created at the Camp and played quite often in the late evening hours when he temps were not as hot as the daytime, thanks to their mobile lights!

Club members wanted to help these troops get better equipment to be able to continue playing, so they dressed in their red, white and blue and together raised funds to cover the shipping of more than 50 boxes of supplies for the troops! Items within the boxes included 2 portable pickleball nets, 40 paddles, 100 balls, stationery to be able to send letters home, letters from the community, workout equipment, snacks, and more!

USA Pickleball is proud of our members and USA Pickleball Ambassador, Sharon Conrad for sharing this story and for coming together as a community to host the charity pickleball tournament.

Colonel Augusto Casado’s Words from Camp:

Our Thanks from Camp Arifjan, Kuwait to USA Pickleball and PTC-Fayette Pickleball Club

“A special thanks from Camp Arifjan, Kuwait to USA Pickleball and Peachtree City-Fayette Pickleball Club (PTC-Fayette Pickleball Club). We greatly appreciate what you did for the Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines stationed at Camp Arifjan. Apart from U.S. forces we also have coalition forces from over 70 nations fighting to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. Your generous gift of paddles, nets and the generous supplies of toiletries, games, snacks, stationary/pens, batteries, apparel, workout equipment and more paddles have gone a long way to increase morale especially during the COVID lockdown.

Pickleball is an awesome sport and growing fast here in the sandbox. Although I am based at Camp Arifjan, I have sent paddles, balls, and nets to Ali Al Salam Air Base as well as planted the seeds for the sport in Union III, Iraq. I constantly talk up Pickleball every chance I get. We have a lot of fun and camaraderie. Once again a huge thanks to the USA Pickleball and the Peachtree City-Fayette Pickleball Club for your support. You really made a difference.”