Pickleball tournament supports cardiovascular wellness in the community

The second annual Hearts and Paddles Pickleball Tournament raised more than $30,000 for the Pulse3 Endowment for Community Cardiovascular Health.  These funds will be used to support cardiovascular wellness programs, community education, and research in the Great Lakes Bay Region.

Steve Vance, M.D., is the executive director of the Pulse3 Endowment, which continues the legacy of promoting healthy living, learning and lifesaving in the region.  “We don’t have the health outcomes we want in the region; as a population, we have more chronic illness than other counties in Michigan, and much of that is due to the obesity epidemic.”  Dr. Vance focused on the importance of physical activity for maintaining heart health.  “Any activity is good activity.  If you can do 15-20 minutes a day, that’s a great start in terms of regular exercise.  We chose to focus on pickleball for this event because of its popularity and accessibility to such a wide range of social demographics.   It’s not as hard on your body as other sports yet still gets your heart rate up--plus there is a social element that is so important.”

This year’s event was expanded to two days to accommodate nearly 300% growth. Tournament action took place on Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15 at Garber Courts in Saginaw, Michigan.  Over 220 players came out to participate in the tournament which included brackets for Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles competition.  In total, 364 pickleball games were played!

A community Health Expo, co-hosted with the Saginaw County Medical Society, was held Saturday morning during the tournament.  Attendees could receive flu shots, blood pressure and diabetes, screenings and be connected with other local wellness resources.  On Saturday night, the courts were open for community play offering free lessons and pickup games for people of all skill levels and anyone interested in learning more about pickleball.

The 2024 Hearts and Paddles Pickleball Tournament was powered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and hosted by the Pulse3 Endowment in conjunction with BWell Saginaw and the Urban Racquet Sports Foundation.  Major event sponsors included Advanced Radiology Services, Aventric Technologies, Bierlein Demolition, Covenant HealthCare, Garber Automotive, MyMichigan Health, and the Saginaw Spirit.