Medical Students Host Pickleball Tournament to Support Pediatric Cancer Families

Medical students from Geisinger School of Medicine turned Birchwood Racquet Club in South Abington Township into a fundraiser for ThinkBIG Pediatric Cancer Fund, using amateur pickleball to send help to families facing pediatric cancer in Lackawanna County and beyond. The Sunday tournament gave the community a simple way to show up, play and support a cause that reaches deep into Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The format was built for broad participation. The event featured men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles in both intermediate and advanced divisions, with entry listed at $70 per team for the first event and $40 per team for a second event. Registration was due by April 12, which kept the field organized and made it easy for players to choose a bracket that matched their level.

ThinkBIG says it has operated since 2014 and provides financial relief, emotional support and hope to families across the region. Its help can cover rent, mortgage, utility and transportation expenses, the kind of bills that pile up fast when a child is being treated for cancer. The nonprofit’s service area includes 31 Pennsylvania counties, and its filings say it has helped more than 200 families with more than $1.1 million in support since it started. A charity listing says about 90% of donated money goes directly to supporting families, which gives events like this a real punch well beyond the court.

Birchwood’s setup made the fundraiser practical, not just symbolic. The club says it has eight indoor pickleball courts, along with programs, open play and private lessons, the kind of mix that makes a tournament feel welcoming to casual players and regulars alike. That matters in a place like Lackawanna County, where pickleball has started to function as more than recreation. It is becoming a civic fundraising tool, one that can pull in students, club players and supporters for a cause that is easy to understand and hard to ignore.

For amateur pickleball, that is the real story here. The sport’s accessibility gives organizers a ready-made format for community giving, and this tournament showed how a local bracket can become a lifeline for families who need it most.