Catholic Charities takes a swing at fundraising through pickleball

After organizing its first pickleball tournament during the summer of 2025, Catholic Charities of Baltimore is inviting players of all skill levels to enjoy another day of competition for a good cause at the “Righteous Rally” Feb. 7 at Dill Dinkers in White Marsh. 

The event is open to all ages and skill levels, which includes beginners, intermediate and advanced players. The tournament consists of five segments of doubles play, including doubles for beginners, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles for intermediate-level players, and a doubles competition for advanced players. 

The cost, which includes a donation to Catholic Charities, is $65 (plus a $5 processing fee) for a player’s first event, $55 for a second event. 

Gill Wylie, director of donor services at Catholic Charities of Baltimore – and an avid pickleball player over the past two years – has reached the intermediate level and plays from one to four times a week. 

Not long after he tried his hand at a relatively new sport that has existed in America for 60 years, Wylie clearly felt the pull of the game. 

“One of the beautiful things about (pickleball) is that it’s easy to learn and hard to master. You don’t need a lot of people. You don’t have to be the best athlete. Just need a paddle,” he said. 

Pickleball is also good as a social activity, fulfilling a way to connect with family, hang out with friends and meet new people, he added. 

“I see grandchildren playing with grandparents,” Wylie said. “Younger people have really gotten into it. It’s a stress reliever for me, the kind of thing that can fill in seamlessly with the rest of the week.” 

During the past several years, Wylie has watched the game explode in popularity in the greater Baltimore area. Besides its White Marsh location, Dill Dinkers operates courts in Cockeysville, Finksburg and Columbia. Wylie noted other popular locations, such as Baltimore Pickleball Club in Timonium and PickleRage in Glen Burnie. 

“Maryland is going through a pickleball craze,” Wylie said. “It has really grown in popularity the last two or three years.” 

In addition to the pickleball fun there is to be had on Feb. 7, Wylie noted the act of donating to a worthy cause adds a feel-good element to the day. 

“Catholic Charities provides so many social goods to the city and the state,” Wylie said. “People are happy to give, even if they’re not Catholic.” 

The sport was created in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Wash., by Joel Pritchard – later a U.S. congressman and Washington’s lieutenant governor – and two friends, Barney McCallum and Bill Bell. The trio is credited with devising the game and establishing the rules. 

The sport’s popularity has grown impressively throughout the country over the past decade. 

The 2023 report by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, released in February 2024, states that pickleball grew 224 percent over three years in the U.S. An estimated 13.6 million played in 2023. 

In May 2024, a report from Trust for Public Land stated the number of outdoor pickleball courts in major cities went up 650 percent in the last seven years, with more than 3,000 courts across 100 of the most populated cities in America. 

Also read: Pickleball is for everyone, but watch the injuries

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