Picklepalooza tournament raises funds for WNC Food Coalition

A pickleball tournament at Asheville Sports Club on Coxe Ave. turned summer play into support for the WNC Food Coalition, linking team entries and event proceeds to hunger relief across Western North Carolina. Picklepalooza brought the fundraiser to 137 Coxe Ave. in Asheville, where the club already has pickleball courts and court reservations built into its regular offerings.

That local backdrop matters in Buncombe County, where 14.3% of households experience food insecurity, compared with 15.4% nationally and 17.7% in North Carolina. Across Western North Carolina, food access has stayed a pressing concern, and one regional summary says as many as 1 in 4 children in the mountains are food insecure. The tournament gave residents a way to turn a recreational outing into direct support for the WNC Food Coalition, which works to move food and pantry help to families across the region.

The event’s “Pick your pickleball team” framing made the fundraiser feel participatory rather than passive. That matters in Asheville, where pickleball has become one of the fastest-growing recreation sports in the country and a familiar part of local park and club planning. The City of Asheville has also outlined a public pickleball complex at Roger Farmer Park with 8 to 10 dedicated courts, another sign that the sport now has a clear place in the city’s recreation map.

At Asheville Sports Club, the sport is also priced as a relatively accessible entry point. The club’s reserve page lists pickleball at $10 an hour, with a minimum of 8 players to reserve court time, and a 10-pack for $100. Those numbers help explain why a tournament format can draw both regular players and casual neighbors into the same fundraiser, especially when the goal is a tangible community benefit instead of a prize table or a night on the town.

Picklepalooza fit into a broader pattern of local giving aimed at Western North Carolina’s needs. Walnut Cove Members Association said in its 2025 grants announcement that it gave a record $715,250 to 39 charities serving the region, underscoring how local philanthropy continues to back food assistance and other essential services. In Asheville, a summer pickleball bracket became one more way to move that support toward the families who need it most.