National pickleball tournament returns to Bend
A South Jersey pickleball family at James Atkinson Memorial Park is helping a member fighting cancer.
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Bend Pickleball Club announced Monday that the Pacific Northwest Classic, sponsored by Beaver Coach Sales, will be held July 28-August 1 at Pine Nursery Park in Bend.
The 2020 Pacific Northwest Classic, scheduled for last summer, had to be canceled due to COVID-19, but the club immediately began planning for a return in 2021. The 2021 tournament offers a $25K purse and is a 2022 Nationals qualifier.
Nearly 500 players from across the country have already registered, and PNC Co-Director Christie Gestvang says, “After a year of 'hunkering,' there is so much enthusiasm for this tournament, and the fact that we are offering a purse for the first time is only adding to the excitement. We will, of course, strictly adhere to all COVID-19 safety guidelines that are in place at the time of the tournament in order to protect tournament players and staff, as well as our community.”
The Pacific Northwest Classic is also part of the APP Tour, a national 14-tournament series, of which PNC is the only Northwest stop.
Businesses, both local and national, are also showing their enthusiasm for the tournament by way of sponsorships. In addition to Beaver Coach Sales, the event’s title sponsor, local sponsors include Mike’s Fence Center, Pickleball Zone, Sunriver Brewing, Widgi Creek, The Center, and Element Bend, the tournament’s lodging partner. National sponsors include Selkirk, Gamma Pickleball, and Dura Fast 40.
According to PNC Co-Director Kirk Foster, “Sponsorship opportunities are still available at a variety of levels. This is a fantastic way for businesses of all sizes to receive five days of high level brand exposure while supporting a great local event.”
All sponsorship funds support the tournament itself, as well as Bend Pickleball Club’s community outreach programs, which include delivering pickleball curriculum in tandem with local schools’ physical education instruction.
For sponsorship information, or to learn more about Pacific Northwest Classic, please contact info@bendpickleballclub.com or visit www.bendpickleballclub.com/sponsor/.
About Bend Pickleball Club
Founded in 2011, Bend Pickleball Club exists to promote a love of the sport and a passion for seeing it grow and thrive in one of the most beautiful and active regions in the country. With a membership of over 850 and growing, the mission of the nonprofit club is to facilitate the growth of pickleball in Central Oregon for the enjoyment, health and social engagement of all players by offering organized recreational and competitive play, ensuring opportunities for the continued development of all players in a collegial and sportsmanlike environment and working to expand facilities as needed. For more information, please visit www.bendpickleballclub.com
