Pickleball Charity Tournament Created By Milford Resident

MILFORD, CT — When Chris Wright moved his office to his home due to COVID-19, he needed to find something to do to get out of his house.

“Last July, someone told me on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays if you join as a Milford resident for $25 at the rec department, you can put your name in a box and play pickleball with different people,” he said. “I did that, and it is a great thing because it’s fun.”

As Wright got increasingly into pickleball, he had the idea of creating a charity event through the sport he started to enjoy.

“My company, Kingsview Partners, does a charity which has not happened over the last four years because of COVID, so I decided this year for a charity event I would try to do something for the pickleball association,” he said.

As Wright started to contact different departments in the city of Milford, they came up with Milford Recreation Inaugural Net Gains Charity Pickleball Tournament.

“My company and I are sponsoring it,” he said. “We are helping the city with it, and the proceeds will go back to the pickleball association to help them get equipment, resurface the court a little bit, and things of that sort.”

“Bill Garfield (Milford director of recreation) was helpful and supportive throughout the entire process, and hopefully, we can do it next year and raise some money for another local charity,” Wright added.

Net Gains Pickleball Tournament is set for Saturday, June 3, at 8 a.m. at Eisenhower Park, 780 North St.

“At the moment, 29 teams have registered,” Wright said.

Wright said the public is invited to show up at Eisenhower Park and cheer on the teams during the tournament.

The tournament is a double-elimination competition played on all eight courts at Eisenhower Park.

“This tournament is more to have fun,” Wright said. “I have a mixer on Friday at The Plate so people can enjoy a couple of beverages and enjoy themselves. Then, the next day, the day of the tournament, I have The Plate with a food truck coming, and it’s more social.”

Even though the tournament is more social, Wright said there will still be winners and losers, and teams will have prizes.

“The winners will get two singed tournament-used pickleball paddles signed by Professional Pickleball Player James Ignatowich,” Wright said. “The other two will get gift certificates.”

To make it fun, Wright said the team with the best name would also win a prize.