Okotoks’ pickleball community is holding a dance and silent auction to raise funds for a brand new racquet centre.
The fundraising event for the Okotoks Pickleball and Tennis Centre (OPTC) takes place at the Foothills Centennial Centre on Thursday, Aug. 8 from 7 p.m. to midnight.
Fundraising director Rob Tod said it will be a fun night out for a good cause.
“We’re kind of calling it an old-fashioned Winnipeg social,” Tod said.
Tickets are $25 but personal donations are being matched three-to-one by an Alberta family until the end of the year.
“If we sell a ticket for $25, it’s really worth $75 going towards the facility,” he said.
There will be music throughout the night, with Okotoks musician Jay Burns playing live and a DJ hitting the stage between Burns’ sets, a cash bar and light snacks.
Silent auction items range from Calgary Flames and Okotoks Dawgs tickets to pickleball equipment.
“We’ve got lots of different things (for the auction),” Tod said.
According to the OPTC website, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in North America but there is a shortage of space to play at the recreational or competitive levels.
To help meet the demand and ensure continued growth of the sport, the OPTC is working to raise $10 million to build the racquet centre in Okotoks with 24 pickleball courts, two tennis courts and a training court.
Operating as a non-profit society, the OPTC is a little more than halfway to its fundraising goal, Tod said.
“We’ve got a great group that we play pickleball with and they’re all helping out and chipping in,” Tod said. “It's a fantastic group to work with.”
The centre will be built at the north end of town on 32 Street and operated by the OPTC under a 30-year agreement with the Town of Okotoks, and it could open as early as 2026.
Tickets for the fundraiser are available online, or by emailing [email protected], where a limited number of tickets are available.
