Harwich Funfest Pickleball Tournament Returns To Brooks Park

HARWICH – A year ago, the Harwich Funfest Pickleball Tournament was left scrambling and was forced to move to Willy’s Gym in Eastham due to torrential downpours. 

 On Saturday, Cape Cod’s largest and longest-running pickleball event returned to Brooks Park as more than 130 players from around the Cape and beyond took part in the 11th installment of the single-day tournament organized by Harwich Pickleball Association for players age 50 and older. 

 “It’s really cool,” said Harwich Pickleball Association President Tom Bryant. “Last year at the last minute we had to move indoors because it rained, so this was a blessing. And the town built four new courts, so we were able to accomplish our mission without having to use the tennis courts. 

“We have a plethora of volunteers — we have a really strong association and without them we wouldn’t be able to pull it off.”

The tournament is organized and run by the Harwich Pickleball Association, and a portion of the proceeds are donated to various local charities. This year, Bryant said the tournament raised a little more than $6,000.

“We are a full-fledged nonprofit and a good portion of the money we raise from this event goes to charities, including the Foster Closet and the Harwich Children’s Fund, and we give money to the recreation department to sponsor children to be able to participate in some of their programs.”

The Cape Cod Foster Closet is an Orleans-based organization that helps provide urgently needed clothing, shoes, books, baby gear and furniture, formula, car seats and more to local foster families and families with non-biological children.

While the Foster Closet will be one of the beneficiaries of the money the tournament raised, the organization also had a table set up and was accepting clothing donations from players in attendance.

“It just gets bigger and bigger every year,” said Michelle Cuff, a Harwich resident and Cape Cod Foster Closet board member. “We’re so thankful for the Harwich Pickleball Association’s sponsorship of us. This is the second year in a row that they’ve allowed us to host a table here, so we’re very grateful.”

Joining Cuff at the Foster Closet’s table was fellow Harwich resident Karen Doucette, who noted the tournament provides the organization exposure it otherwise wouldn’t have.

“The awareness to me is gigantic,” Doucette said. “Not a lot of people have heard of us because we’re a young organization, but so many people have been impacted by bringing up non-biological children and this is a great opportunity for the Foster Closet to get some exposure.”

For the players, many of whom were familiar with each other from playing recreationally and in other tournaments, the opportunity to combine their love for pickleball with a good cause made Saturday’s tournament a worthwhile endeavor. 

“You always go for community support and I love supporting anything community-based, volunteer-based or nonprofit based,” said Chris Bushing, a West Barnstable resident. “A lot of the pickleball tournaments have that element to them, which is nice.”

West Yarmouth resident Carl Valeri said the tournament was especially enjoyable because the players provide good competition while displaying good sportsmanship throughout. 

“The competition level is really good,” Valeri said. “But even though it’s competitive, you can still get a smile or a smirk out of your opponents if you beat them or they beat you on a particular play.”

Bryant was thrilled with the tournament’s turnout and viewed it as the latest example of the pickleball boom that is happening throughout the Cape.

“The indicator is people contact us in advance before we even announce that the tournament is open,” he said. “Before it used to be that we had to recruit players to play, now we have to turn people away.”