Contested on indoor or outdoor courts, pickleball is a sport similar to tennis and pingpong played with a hard plastic ball and a paddle. Now a local nonprofit is seeking to capitalize on pickleball's recent popularity to battle human trafficking.
Enter North Star Initiative (NSI).
NSI's next annual pickleball tournament is almost upon us. The competitive event will raise money and awareness in the fight against human trafficking while promoting the growth of the blossoming sport.
"It's a way to get the community involved with something that's going on in our own backyard," said Alex Wagner, NSI's marketing and communications director. "There's a whole community that is super excited to play. The rules are easy to pick up. It's something that's fun and brings everyone together."
The second edition of NSI's pickleball tournament will be contested on Saturday, June 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Manor Middle School courts, 2950 Charlestown Road, Lancaster. In the case of rain, the event will be pushed back to the next Saturday, June 22, at the same time and place.
Teams of two players can register by going to http://www.northstarinitiative.org/events before Friday, June 7.
"It's a very family, fun atmosphere," said Wagner. "There are tons of spectators and supporters. But there's going to be a lot more going on than just a pickleball tournament. We also want people to know who we are as an organization."
NSI's pickleball tournament draw will be broken down into three divisions: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Each division can accommodate up to 25 teams.
The sponsored event will also include music provided by a DJ.
"It's a mix of everyone," said Wagner of individuals expected to attend. "It's both supporters of NSI and pickleball players. It's pickleball players who play regularly and neighbors. We're hoping the brackets will make the tournament more competitive."
NSI had so much fun with its initial venture into the competitive pickleball world in 2023 that it decided to stage another tournament this year. Last year's event netted over $4,000 for NSI, a total the nonprofit is hoping to double this year.
"All of the money raised will directly support our women going through our program at The House," said Wagner. With facilities to support up to 10 residents, The Harbor is a safe house that provides support in the form of classes, therapy and life skills development.
"Different people have different capacities to give," said Wagner. "No matter how big or small it is, it truly makes a difference in the lives of these women. NSI's ultimate goal is to have survivors graduate and live a life of independence, whatever that looks like for them."
Located in Lititz and founded in 2010, NSI conducts two other fundraising and awareness events throughout the course of the year: the Welcome to the Battle anti-trafficking event in January and Light Up the Night in October.
"We were needing to fill a gap, and we were hearing pickleball all over the place," said Wagner. "Someone in our office said, 'Let's try a pickleball tournament, just because of how popular it is.' We were like, 'Let's give it a try.' We honestly didn't know how it was going to go, but it took off. Now we're hoping to expand it and grow it into the future."
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