MARTIN COUNTY — Whether a seasoned player, a novice or someone who just enjoys watching the fast-paced game of pickleball, the Martin Chamber Foundation’s upcoming “Dinks, Drinks & Pickleball for Charity” might just fit the bill.
The event, a fundraiser for the foundation’s CareerConnect Martin Program, will be at Diadem Pickleball Complex Jensen Beach, 3342 NW U.S. 1, Jensen Beach on Thursday, June 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. Team registration is closed since the event has reached its capacity but there’s room for spectators at $25 per person.
“It’s super fun to play and super fun to watch, too,” Angela Hoffman, vice president of the Stuart/Martin County Chamber of Commerce, said. “It’s a very, very popular sport, one for all ages.”
Spectators can help themselves to appetizers and up to two drinks per person.
There’s also a contest where, for a donation, anyone can grab a paddle and try to serve a pickleball into a bucket. If you sink the shot, you’d win the mystery prize inside.
Prizes include wine; premium spirits; gift cards; wellness and self-care items; and other items donated by local businesses.
“This is the first one and we’re hoping to make it an annual event,” Hoffman said.
The event’s name was chosen because a “dink” is part of pickleball terminology, Hoffman said.
A “dink” in pickleball means a gentle, low-trajectory shot hit from near the “kitchen” line that lands in the opponent’s non-volley zone which also is called the “kitchen.”
The benefiting program, CareerConnect Martin, is designed to help unemployed and underemployed Martin County residents gain new skills; overcome employment barriers; and connect to local businesses who want to hire, train and retain employees.
The Stuart/Martin County Chamber of Commerce started CareerConnect Martin in 2022 with financial support from the County Commission.
In its first two years, CareerConnect achieved an 83 percent success rate, enabling the organization to establish the Martin Chamber Foundation, a 501c3 charity to continue the work, according to the mission statement on CareerConnect’s web site.
To learn more about the Martin Chamber Foundation and how it supports economic prosperity for Martin County residents, go to www.martinchamberfoundation.org.
CareerConnect offers step-up training; trial employment opportunities; career exploration paths. It also posts available jobs through the chamber’s web site.
To learn more about CareerConnect and the employment opportunities it offers, go to careerconnectmartin.org.
To join the event as a spectator, go to givebutter.com/dinks-drinks-pickleball-for-charity-3gbpgr.