Event hosted by T.J. and Amber Brodie helps boost pickleball in Chatham-Kent; raise funds for their foundation
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DRESDEN – Local awareness about the game of pickleball enjoyed a sharp uptick this weekend, thanks to The Rally at the Barn event hosted by local NHLer T.J. Brodie and his wife Amber.
The couple, who are Dresden natives, were on hand as the event – a fundraiser for their Lighthouse Foundation – wrapped up with a pickleball tournament at the Ken Houston Memorial Agricultural Centre.
T.J. Brodie, who patrols the blue line for the Toronto Maple Leafs, said the couple’s foundation was created five years ago while he played with the Calgary Flames.
During his tenure with the Calgary club, Brodie became involved with raising funds for cystic fibrosis research.
The NHL star had watched his cousin, Ian Badder, live with and battle cystic fibrosis, eventually receiving a double lung transplant.
When his wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in late 2015, Brodie said “we wanted to have a way would could raise money.”
“Instead of doing two separate charities, we would just be able to donate to each cause,” Brodie said.
He added an additional goal for their foundation is to provide sponsorships for young athletes to play sports.
While still a “baby foundation,” Amber Brodie said they will be able to donate to more causes once they get a few years behind them.
She added the focus of the foundation in the short term is cystic fibrosis and multiple sclerosis research.
A fundraising total for the event is still to calculated, but the couple said they appreciated all of the community support.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” T.J. Brodie said. “The people here are special and to see the support … it’s been incredible.”
Amber Brodie also said the couple enjoyed being able to give back to the Chatham-Kent community.
“Everyone’s been so supportive of T.J. his whole career, so it’s just so nice for us to support the community and put on a weekend of fun,” she said.
While the weekend’s host, Amber Brodie made sure to enjoy some of the fun, taking part in a learn-to-play clinic geared to women on Friday, as well as playing in the tournament on Saturday.
“I’m a new player,” she said. “It’s competitive, but it is fun and I think that’s the spirit of pickleball.”
Cameron Taylor of the Taylored Pickleball Academy hosted the learn-to-play clinics and ran the tournament.
He said more than 32 young people took part in a clinic on Friday in Dresden.
“It was awesome,” said Taylor, adding many of the participants expressed interest in continuing to play pickleball.
With Dresden slated to receive new pickleball courts thanks to a grant received by the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Taylor said the timing of the tournament was perfect.
“It’s a great time once you’re out there,” Taylor said about the sport. “It’s good exercise and it’s a good activity.”
The instructor said it’s easy to pick the game up, but pickleball does take some practice to get good.
Taylor said the “interest was amazing” in the event, adding they are looking forward to bringing it back next year.
Chatham-Kent firefighters Jason King and Eric Smith had a great time, donning retro-style sportswear to play in the tournament.
With the tournament potentially becoming an annual event, King said they will have a year to think about another uniform in order to “up our game a little bit.”
“We’re calling other people to up their game, too,” he added.
King said it was a great to be able to support the fundraiser, “especially since T.J.’s a local boy and Amber’s local here too, and they both come back and want to do something special for the community. That’s fantastic.”
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