HUGS Holds 2nd Annual “Paddle for HUGS” Charity Pickleball Tournament

Sep 6, 2024

HONOLULU – HUGS (Help Understanding & Group Support), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Hawaii’s families with seriously ill children will hold their 2nd Annual “Paddle for HUGS” Pickleball Tournament at Kamilo’iki Community Park on November 2nd, to raise funds for the organization.

“Given Pickleball’s popularity we thought hosting a tournament would be something different and make for a fun event while supporting a great cause at the same time,” said Maureen Purington, HUGS Executive Director. “We received positive feedback for our first tournament last year, so we hope to continue the tradition for the foreseeable future.”

Players will be competing in an unsanctioned, mixed doubles, round-robin tournament to support Hawaii’s seriously ill children and their families. The tournament is open to players 16 and older, for players of all skill levels. Medals will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners for each bracket.

In addition to the tournament, there will be a special pickleball exhibition by Pickleball Pro Keven Wong, who put on an amazing show last year including hitting pickleballs with various kitchen items. “I’m blessed to be involved with HUGS through their annual pickleball tournament in order to help raise funds to support the families involved with this organization,” said Wong. “The HUGS round-robin pickleball tournament has two divisions, beginner and intermediate, where you will play with a different partner each round. We have a super awesome halftime show that’s highlighted by a HUGS family who shares about their experiences and journey through HUGS. Hope to see you on the courts for this tournament in November!”

Early birds can register for $65 per person until September 30, after that the cost will be $75. All net proceeds will help support Hawaii’s seriously ill children and their families who are part of the HUGS organization. Last year the event raised over $20,000. As of this writing, the event is sponsored by First Hawaiian Bank and the SERVCO Foundation.

HUGS supports nearly 400 families statewide, and provides peer support programs for each member of the family and financial assistance including monthly food baskets and airfare assistance.

Media Contact:
Alex Wereszczynskyj
alex@hugshawaii.org