Every October, something a little unusual happens on the pickleball courts at South Pasadena Middle School: eighty neighbors show up, paddles in hand, all in service of a cause a lot bigger than the game.
On Saturday, October 3rd, the DUDES of South Pasadena – a dad-led nonprofit that started as a handful of fathers at Marengo Elementary and has grown into more than 75 active members embedded in every SP public school – will host their 4th Annual Pickleball Tournament. This year’s theme is “Girl Dad,” and for the first time, all proceeds are earmarked specifically for girls’ sports programs in South Pasadena schools – closing a funding gap the DUDES say has long been underserved relative to demand.
It’s a story that’s grown with the town itself. Over three prior tournaments, the DUDES raised roughly $30,000 supporting South Pasadena kids broadly – including $6,000 in pickleball equipment for SPMS athletics and $3,000 in scholarships at Arroyo Vista, Monterey Hills, and Marengo. This year marks a shift: every dollar raised goes toward girls’ programs specifically. It’s sold out every year, and it’s entirely volunteer-run, meaning every cent (and every donated paddle) goes directly to the kids it’s meant to serve.
But beyond the fundraising, what makes this event worth writing about is what it says about South Pasadena: a small, tight-knit community where dads build bookcases for classrooms, run BBQs, show up for cleanup after the Eaton Fire, and now, once a year, trade in their tool belts for pickleball paddles – this year, in the name of their daughters and the neighbors’ daughters too.
Details for readers:
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Saturday, October 3rd | Check-in 8 AM, play 9 AM – 1 PM
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South Pasadena Middle School Pickleball Courts
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80-player round robin, rotating partners, men’s & women’s championship playoffs
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$75 registration includes t-shirt, food, drinks, raffle entry
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Register: https://pickleball.southpasdudes.com/
