IG Private Wealth's 2nd Annual Pickleball FUNdraiser Supports Outreach Centre, Hockey Alberta

The second annual Pickleball FUNdraiser Corporate Charity Challenge, presented by IG Private Wealth Management Giesbrecht & Associates, returned to Westerner Park in Red Deer for a day of friendly competition and community fundraising. The tournament, held Friday, January 30, 2026, directed proceeds to The Outreach Centre and the Hockey Alberta Foundation, bringing corporate teams and local organizations together for pickleball action.

Players could warm up with an optional Learn to Play session hosted by the Red Deer Pickleball Club at 8:30 a.m., with the official tournament beginning at 10:00 a.m. The event weekend included a Pre-Event Party at Bo’s Bar & Stage on Thursday, January 29, 2026, and sponsorship packages for 2026 were advertised as including lunch and tickets to that evening reception. Earlier promotional materials for the inaugural 2025 event also noted registration bundles that included lunch and transportation to an after-party at Bo’s Bar & Stage, reflecting slightly different wording across years.

The Outreach Centre serves individuals and families in central Alberta, supporting them in their pursuit of healthy relationships, mental health wellbeing, housing stability and self-sufficiency. The Hockey Alberta Foundation raises funds to foster and support access to youth hockey in Alberta, with a goal of ensuring that every child throughout Alberta has the opportunity to play hockey. Tim Leer of the Hockey Alberta Foundation spoke to the event’s community impact: “The continued support from all the sponsors, the businesses community, and participants allows us to make a real and lasting impact, and we’re incredibly grateful that this event is returning for its second year to support the Hockey Alberta Foundation,” said Tim Leer, Hockey Alberta Foundation. “The Pickleball FUNdraiser Corporate Charity Challenge, not only brings people together for a fun and engaging day but it directly helps us raise funds to provide every kid in every community the opportunity to play hockey in Alberta”.

Organizers encouraged teams from local businesses and organizations to participate and to register early, as space is limited. The format aimed to be inclusive - from newcomers taking the Learn to Play session to regulars trading dinks and battling in the kitchen - and promotional copy invited readers to “check out last year’s fun” for a sense of the atmosphere and photos from the inaugural event held January 24, 2025.

For follow-up, Michelle Skilnick, Manager of the Hockey Alberta Foundation, is listed as the contact for registration and sponsorship at foundation@hockeyalberta.ca. Dustin Moore of The Outreach Centre was the contact for the inaugural event and remains a community touchpoint via dustin@caoutreach.ca or 403.347.2480 for local organizers and partners.

For readers who play or organize workplace teams, the FUNdraiser shows how a weekend of dinking and double faults can turn into real support for local services and youth sport access. Expect organizers to confirm sponsor benefits, registration capacity and any photo galleries from the weekend as they wrap up post-event details.