Mattoon Pickleball Bash fundraiser to help enhance Peterson Park courts
MATTOON — The Pickleball Bash fundraiser Saturday, Nov. 16, for enhancing Peterson Park's new courts will offer food, live music, and a silent auction.
The event from 6-10 p.m. at the Mattoon Eagles Club, 1917 Oak Ave., also will include raffle prizes provided by SPF Pickleball of Lincoln Park, which is consulting on the planned indoor pickleball facility in Charleston.
Peterson Park's six pickleball courts opened this summer next to the pavilion. The nonprofit Mattoon Pickleball Group has organized Saturday's fundraiser to help the city install lights for night games and make other improvements to these courts.
Admission to the Pickleball Bash will be free and open to all ages. La Luna Mexican Restaurant will have food available for purchase. The Easters and John Gossett will perform live music there.
Pickleball Group member Kim Janssen said the event will feature more than 30 silent auction packages, including those donated as part of "The Big Dill Contest."
"Businesses and groups could put together any silent auction package they wanted, could go Pinterest crazy if they wanted," Janssen said.
Saturday evening, attendees will be able to bid on the "Big Dill" baskets like other silent auctions and also vote on their favorite one. The three baskets with the highest vote counts will win.
Janssen said there also will be more than 30 raffle prizes, including those provided by SPF Pickleball
SPF co-founder Richard Green said he has met with the Pickleball Group and played on the Peterson Park courts while in the area working on the planned indoor facility at the former Charleston Walmart building.
Green said SPF, which stands for "social, pickleball, fun," has provided a getaway package for its indoor facility in Lincoln Park and an opportunity to be the first to play at the Charleston facility when it opens.
"We are excited to support the Pickleball Bash," Green said, adding that SPF will be represented at this event. "it's a great community. It's been great to get to know a lot of the pickleball players."
More information about the fundraiser is available by visiting the Pickleball Bash event page on Facebook or by calling Janssen at 217-254-3543.
Contact Rob Stroud at (217) 238-6861.
