Katy Perry’s pickleball charity event raises funds for Firework Foundation

Katy Perry’s latest pickleball outing was more than a celebrity moment. On April 27, she and her sister, Angela Lerche, used Light Up the Court to turn a day of exhibition play into a fundraiser for Firework Foundation, with the kind of built-in story line that makes a pickleball event travel far beyond Santa Barbara.

The exhibition match delivered the shareable detail that helps the format spread: Perry teamed with pro Connor Garnett and beat Lerche and Los Angeles-based pro Wes Burrows, 11-8. Garnett brought a deep racquet-sport pedigree, having played Division I tennis at Santa Clara University before moving into pro pickleball. Burrows, who turned pro in 2022, is based in Agoura Hills, California. With recognizable names on both sides of the net, the event had the credibility of a true competition and the reach of a community fundraiser.

That balance is what has made Light Up the Court more than a one-off celebrity appearance. Firework Foundation’s archived pages show the event first launched in October 2023, returned in 2024, and came back again in 2026 after gaining traction as an annual fixture. The foundation says the event supports children from underserved communities through the arts, which gives the pickleball setting a clear purpose instead of a loose lifestyle tie-in.

Firework Foundation describes Camp Firework as a sleep-away experience in nature built around artistic programming, with kids creating songs, learning choreography, designing apparel, and taking part in outdoor activities such as kayaking, archery, fishing and zip-lining. The organization says it held its 10th Camp Firework in August 2025 and points to a year-round calendar that also includes initiatives such as Leaders in Training, which launched in 2022, and Young Producers Group. The foundation lists Perry as founder and Lerche as president and says it was founded in 2018.

The sponsor side matters, too. Franklin Sports served as the marquee pickleball sponsor for the 2026 event, underscoring how quickly the sport’s event ecosystem has matured. The company also became the Official Title Sponsor of the US Open Pickleball Championships in February 2026, the tournament’s 10th anniversary year. For retreat operators and destination hosts, the lesson from Santa Barbara is straightforward: pickleball works best when it is tied to a mission, a recognizable host, and a program that gives guests a reason to show up, stay engaged and give.