<div>As an avid pickleball player, <strong>I'm raising money to increase the participation rates of the African-American community in Austin </strong>(which happens to be the<strong> </strong><a href="https://austin.urbanize.city/post/austin-top-pickleball-city-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2024 Pickleball Capital of the World</a>!).
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<div>Here's the link for the event: <a href="https://www.dreamtogether2030.com/pickleball" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.dreamtogether2030.com/pickleball" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.dreamtogether2030.com/pickleball</a></a>
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<div>Every donation is appreciated! Thank you!
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<div><strong>Why?</strong> <em>Pickleball is the new golf.</em> In 5, 10, 20 years, business execs and influencers will be meeting not on the 9th green, but in the kitchen - to connect, network, and make important decisions. The Black community was largely shut out of golf. <strong>Let's make sure this doesn't happen with pickleball.</strong> (Also, engagement in pickleball has huge <a href="https://www.baytoday.ca/local-news/the-best-activity-to-maintain-physical-and-cognitive-function-may-surprise-you-9339531" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">health</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/09/25/1201054712/senate-pickleball-caucus-leaves-politics-off-the-court" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">relational</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9988900/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mental health</a>, <a href="https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/43027601/pickleball-league-prison-macdougall-walker-joey-losgar-picl" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">public safety</a>, <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/pickleball-elementary-school-phys-ed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">education</a>, and <a href="https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/pickleball-market-expected-to-hit-4b-by-2033-market-us-news/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">other</a> <a href="https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/pickleball-clothing-and-apparel-market/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">economic</a> <a href="https://www.outkick.com/sports/most-lucrative-pro-sport-female-athletes-pickleball?utm_source=news.joinpickleheads.com&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=how-pros-hit-perfect-resets&amp;_bhlid=2bee3f8e1d3b24ffefca9d2d1e5130590892197a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">benefits</a>.)
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<div><strong>How?</strong> This years' Juneteenth parade and festival in Austin will attract the Black community into <a href="https://austinparks.org/blog/celebrating-juneteenth-black-austins-historically-significant-parks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">historic Rosewood Park</a> in East Austin. Which happens to be a hotspot for pickleball! <a href="https://www.dreamtogether2030.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dream Together 2030</a> is planning a <a href="https://www.dreamtogether2030.com/pickleball" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Juneteenth Pickleball" mashup</a> involving <a href="https://www.brandonnsekpong.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brandon Nsekpong</a> and other Black professional players, the Rosewood pickleball community, and <a href="https://picklegoddesses.com/pickleball-for-kids/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">youth</a> from the greater Austin area. One key goal is to educate Austin's Black community - who mostly think of pickleball as a sport for "old White folks" - as to how fun the <a href="https://www.pickleheads.com/blog/pickleball-statistics?utm_source=news.joinpickleheads.com&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=pickleball-stats-the-numbers-you-need-to-know&amp;_bhlid=fa98b89c83cd28748db5423c52c5f0ce12d32354" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fastest growing sport</a> in America is. Pickleball players know that once they try it, they'll be addicted for life!
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<div><strong>What will the money be used for?</strong> The total budget for the event is $28K, half of which has already been raised. The money will be used to put on the event - including printing signs, T-shirts and cap giveaways, coordinating two tournaments and the exhibitions, and measuring the impact via surveys.
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<div>(Note: 100% of funds raised will be given to Dream Together 2030 for the stated purposes ... if tax deductibility is important to you, contact me to arrange a direct donation to the charity.)
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Emlyn Lee

Elizabeth Polinard

Clinton Scroggins

Cynthia Gonzales

Steve Dodson

Brian Bartlett

Sheri Norris

Larry Cmerek

Christina Cogdell

Anonymous

Melinda Armbruster

Judy Willard

Marcus Kirk

Thomas Cogdell

Juneteenth Pickleball @ Rosewood Park in East Austin

Juneteenth Pickleball @ Rosewood Park in East Austin

Still $3,480 to go. Help us build momentum.