County Fire Pickleball’s Dinko-De-Mayo raises funds for fire-service youth nonprofit

County Fire Pickleball turned a festive name into a real fundraising machine at Paseo Club in Valencia, where its Dinko-De-Mayo tournament sent every $60 registration fee to Los Bomberos de L.A. County. The beneficiary works with low-income youth who want a path into the fire service, giving the event a civic purpose that reached well beyond the baseline of a local open bracket.

The tournament ran with men’s, women’s, mixed and non-gender divisions, and play started at 7 a.m. Each division was guaranteed at least five games, giving players a full day on court rather than a quick win-or-go-home format. Organizers also kept the event off DUPR ratings, a choice that helped preserve fair matchups while keeping the mood focused on charity, community and social play instead of points and pressure.

That balance is part of why County Fire Pickleball has grown from a simple gathering of Los Angeles County firefighters who loved the sport into a larger community effort. The group has used pickleball as both a social outlet and a fundraising vehicle, expanding its reach while keeping the firefighter identity that gives the event its edge. For an amateur pickleball scene that often lives and dies on club energy, that combination of brand, cause and court time is a strong formula.

Los Bomberos de L.A. County founder and president Ramon Enrique Rodriguez said County Fire Pickleball member Chad Chebbi reached out after seeing the nonprofit’s mission, which includes scholarships and career guidance for people trying to enter the fire service. Rodriguez also said the group had already helped with scholarships at the nonprofit’s EMT and paramedic academy, and that the money from Dinko-De-Mayo would keep supporting those efforts.

The event was built to feel like a community day, not just a bracket sheet. Food, drinks, alcohol for purchase and a raffle booth gave players and spectators reasons to stay on site, helping the tournament function as a local gathering as much as a fundraiser. That is the bigger story here: amateur pickleball is no longer only about court access and competition. In Santa Clarita, it was also a dependable way to move money toward youth opportunity, first-responder training and a cause people could recognize immediately.