By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WINONA LAKE — World Compassion Network will once again benefit from a pickleball tournament.

The Winona Lake Sunset Pickleball Tournament is set for Friday, Sept. 5, through Sunday, Sept. 7, at the town’s courts by Winona Lake Limitless Park.

Proceeds will help WCN, based in Kosciusko County, which helps with disaster relief locally and elsewhere.

Tournament Director Dave Thieme called WCN a “well-thought out” organization.

Registration for the tournament ends Monday, Aug. 25, and may be done by clicking here. The cost is $50 for the first event people register for, with $5 for each additional event that they do. There’s an extra cost of $30 to enter a new nine-team cash tournament for those playing at the 5.0 level, considered to be “high level,” said Thieme.

People may get a free T-shirt if they register by Monday, Aug. 4, and may upgrade to a Dri-FIT shirt for $15.

Events include: senior men’s and women’s doubles for those 50 and older; an open singles; mixed doubles, open and 50-plus; and an open men’s and women’s doubles.

Wins in the regular games will be by one point, with each team or player guaranteed a minimum of four games. Play will be round robin-style, with the top four teams advancing to playoff games. Those games are won by two points.

Play categories with more than 10 teams will be separated into pools, with the top two teams from each pool going to the playoffs.

Play will be at Grace College’s Gordon Health and Wellness Center if the weather is bad. There will also be snacks for players, with food trucks also on hand and raffle prizes.

Thieme said organizers opted to have the tournament again because “pickleball is just so popular.”

Last year’s tournament raised almost $25,000 for WCN, he said.