MARINETTE, Wis. (WBAY) – If you’ve been to a pickleball tournament in northeast Wisconsin, there’s a good chance you’ve crossed paths with or even competed against Brian and Kim Swenson. If not, now’s your chance to meet the couple who have immersed themselves in America’s fastest growing sport for the past five years.

The OSMS Marinette PINK OUT pickleball tournament will take place at the Marinette Community REC from Friday, October 18 to Sunday, October 20. For the sixth time, the Swenson couple are running the event and serving as tournament directors.

“We’re a good tournament for a first (person) tournament,” Brian Swenson said. “For $30 you get a (tournament) t-shirt, a (OSMS) towel and you get a lot of games. “We are proud, you don’t come to our tournament, play four games and go home. We are at least six, seven games.

Not only do you get fun entry prizes and a chance to compete, but the tournaments Swenson hosts each fall and spring always raise money for a local cause, with the top five placing around $20,000 total for the renovation project of the Marinette area outdoor field and the new OSMS court complex. As this project nears completion, the Swensons came up with a new idea for where to send the money raised: local breast cancer support groups.

“We thought, ‘We need to freshen it up a little bit.’ We need to do something more relevant to the community,” Brian Swenson said. “There are a few support groups locally here that are doing that. They identify people who need help and then distribute gift cards when they deem it necessary. the angle we chose.

The Swensons say their conversation with several members of the Marinette Menominee Area Pickleball group who had or are currently battling breast cancer, some young mothers, helped solidify this decision.

“We started asking ourselves, ‘What is the biggest challenge for a woman when she is told she has breast cancer?’ Especially a younger woman?’ “, remembers Brian. “She said, ‘You wouldn’t think a $50 gas card would mean much to someone, but when you’re traveling to Milwaukee or Green Bay for your cancer sessions and such, a gas card $50 gas, when gas costs $3 a gallon, goes a long way.

Over the course of the weekend, more than 250 participants (a new tournament record) will compete for a $3 medal and bragging rights in 22 different divisions ranging from beginner to advanced, all supporting a local cause and fueling their competitive spirit. At the end of the day Sunday, Kim said that’s what makes her most proud.

“I love seeing people outside, seeing people active, seeing people socializing and meeting people they never would have met otherwise,” Kim said. “We’ve created friendships in our community and across the state of Wisconsin that people wouldn’t have experienced without sports.”

Kim and Brian Swenson say they hope to raise about $2,000 with this tournament and the Marinette Menominee Area Pickleball group will then distribute those funds among two or three local cancer support groups in the Marinette area.

Entrance to the tournament is free and donations will also be accepted. All games will take place at Community REC, 2501 Pierce Ave., Marinette, Wisconsin, with the first bracket starting at 6 p.m. Friday evening and the final bracket starting at 2:15 p.m. Sunday.

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