Pickleball is a rapidly growing sport, and it’s helping to grow the supplies on the shelves at the Vernon food bank this holiday season.
For the third year in a row, the Vernon Pickleball Association held a food drive in support of the Vernon Salvation Army Food Bank during the month of December.
Members brought non-perishable food items and toiletries to the Okanagan Wealth Advisors Pickleball Complex when they came to play, placing the food under the twinkling lights of the 15-foot high pickleball Christmas tree.
All told, the members raised and delivered 1,194 pounds of food.
Combined with the previous two years, the association has raised more than 3,000 pounds of food to help the Vernon community through the Salvation Army Food Bank/House of Hope.
Member Marco Longley has spearheaded the food drive initiative over the last three years. He’s also the creator and builder of the pickleball Christmas tree at the complex, which is constructed out of more than 800 broken pickleballs.
“The spirit of giving at Christmas time, and throughout the year, is what makes the Vernon Pickleball Association a very special pickleball community with a strong sense of belonging, sportsmanship and friendship,” said Anne Longley of the association.
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