Emporia State students host pickleball fundraiser for Street Cats Club
Emporia State students will rally at Reeble Courts with pickleball fees of $10 and $15, backing a cat rescue that has already fixed an estimated 17,220 cats.
Emporia State students are using pickleball as a campus fundraiser, and the draw is as practical as it is social: a low-barrier game, an all-levels format and a local cause with clear, measurable impact. The Street Cats Club Pickleball for a Purpose Tournament is set for Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at Reeble Park, also listed as Reeble Courts, at 1801 Rural St. near Champions Landing in Emporia.
The event is being run by the ESU Communications Group, a student team from Emporia State’s small group communication course that built the fundraiser through brainstorming, community outreach and a search for a cause that fit campus life. ESU’s calendar lists play from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. CDT, while a Givebutter fundraising page lists the window as 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. CDT. Entry is set at $10 for ESU students and $15 for community members, and organizers plan to use 12 courts. All skill levels are welcome, which makes the tournament a clean fit for players who may not normally enter a competitive bracket.
The beneficiary gives the event its edge. Street Cats Club describes itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization and licensed animal shelter in Emporia that focuses on high-volume trap, neuter and return work and community outreach. The organization says its impact so far includes 743 cats fostered, 1,673 cats TNR’d and an estimated 17,220 total cats fixed. It also partners with Prairie Paws Animal Shelter for free weekly TNR clinics in Emporia, and a recent local report said the two groups were launching a feral-cat clinic using Prairie Paws’ mobile trailer, tying the fundraiser to an active animal-control effort rather than a one-off appeal.
The online fundraising page had already shown $660 raised from 18 supporters, after organizers said they were close to $300 before the final ticket deadline. That early momentum underscores why this kind of pickleball event has become a useful campus tool: it gives students an easy way to turn casual play into visible service, while giving local nonprofits a fast, familiar path to donor attention and practical dollars.
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