Plover pickleball fundraiser returns with broad amateur divisions

The second annual Pickleball Tournament Fundraiser in Plover was less about novelty than staying power. After last year brought in nearly $7,000 through sponsorships and registration fees, the June 20 event at Sentry Pickleball Complex had a clear benchmark: could a local amateur draw come back with enough turnout and bracket depth to look like a regular stop rather than a one-time success?

Hosted by Shane Glinski, the tournament ran from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 3410 Hoover Avenue in Plover, with registration closing June 13. The entry list showed how broad the field had become at the amateur level, with novice, intermediate and advanced divisions alongside men’s doubles, women’s doubles, 60+ doubles, mixed doubles, men’s singles and women’s singles. That structure opened the door to newer players, older players, doubles specialists and families willing to split into different brackets instead of forcing one narrow competitive lane.

The beneficiary gave the day a reach well beyond central Wisconsin. Global Hands of Hope, established in 2007, says it serves vulnerable children in Uganda and focuses on sustainable development to end generational poverty. Other descriptions place its work near Bukeka, Uganda, where the Suubi Children’s Center includes a school, church, farm, medical center and dormitories for more than 450 children. The event listing said every dollar raised through sponsorships, one-time gifts or registration fees went to that mission, turning an amateur tournament fee into direct support for an overseas nonprofit with a long-running footprint.

The venue mattered just as much as the beneficiary. Sentry Pickleball Complex opened at Lake Pacawa Park in July 2025 after a ribbon-cutting with local leaders, donors and the Heart of Wisconsin Pickleball Association, and its 12 wheelchair-accessible courts are open to the public during park hours. Bringing the fundraiser back there signaled that Plover now has a court complex capable of supporting repeat events and a wider range of entrants, which is exactly what a maturing amateur scene looks like. For Shane Glinski, a lifelong Central Wisconsin resident who has worked with Global Hands of Hope for the last two years, the event tied local sports infrastructure to a cause that stretches far beyond Wisconsin.