Volunteers needed! Piney Fundraiser! Other news!

[Durham Area Pickleball Players]

All,

I have a few updates for you on this beautiful morning.  

If you only have time for one item, please make it number 1. :-)  We need volunteers to help with the Piney Inaugural Bull City Open!  It's only 3 and a half weeks away!

1. Volunteer to help with the Bull City Open (BCO)
   
2. Sign up to play in the Bull City Open
3. Sponsor the Bull City Open (do you notice the theme?)
4. Maintenance on the Swiftnets at Bethesda
5. 4.0 Plus Mixed Pickleball Series at Durham Parks and Rec

1. Volunteer to help with the Bull City Open

Let me remind you that the Bull City Open is the annual fundraiser for all of us (the Durham Area Pickleball Players). Funds raised at this tourney buy nice things for Durham pickleball (nets, windscreens, those permanent court dividers at Piney, etc).

Having said that...

We need 2 measly hours of your time to help with the Bull City Open.  It's easy work, you'll earn everyone's undying gratitude, and you'll make new picklefriends.  Please sign up for a shift (or two!).  We very much need your help.

2. Playing in the Bull City Open

Now that you've volunteered, sign up to play!  If you've played in tournaments before, well, just do it.  If you haven't and are nervous but tournament curious, join us!  

We'll be very nice to you.  We'll find you a partner if you don't have one.  This is your tourney to raise funds for your courts.  It's very much a Durham family affair.  

There'll be a different food truck each day and a beer tent for the duration.  Come out to Piney and make a day (or weekend) of it!  Bring your friends and family, have a picnic, and we'll help suck them into pickleball for you.

Here are step by step instructions about how to use PickleballDen to register, in case you're new to this.

3. Sponsoring the Bull City Open

We still need Silver, Gold, T-Shirt, and Presenting sponsors.  This is your chance to get your business in front of 1,000's (I exaggerate not) of pickleball players, fans, and families. The BCO is a great bang for your advertising buck. Show Durham you care.  Sponsor the BCO.

4. Swiftnets at Bethesda

Moving on to non-BCO related topics, the Swiftnets at Bethesda are due for some maintenance.  The Bethesda elf will be upgrading the top pull ropes, replacing missing rubber feet, and repairing the one broken bracket as soon as the parts arrive.

For context, DAPP has historically spent $1,000 to $1,500 dollars a year to replace the "community" nets at Bethesda. These Swiftnets were initially more expensive, but they're much better nets, and the vendor sells replacements for every part that might wear out or fail.

After DAPP bought the first three Swiftnets, DPR chipped in and bought three more.  DAPP (because we are saints) maintains all of the nets.  These nets are high quality, but they get rough use at Bethesda and so definitely need periodic care and feeding.

I just ordered $162.00 of parts to bring the six nets back into a near-new state.  A bargain!  I'm hoping we can make these nets last for years, and save lots of $$ along the way.

5. 4.0+ Mixed Pickleball Series at Durham Parks and Rec

There's still a bit of room in the 4.0+ Mixed Pickleball Series organized by DPR.  It'll be Tuesdays at 6pm at Piney during March.  

That's all for this morning.  I will likely be bugging you over the next few weeks with increasing urgency to volunteer to help with the Bull City Open, so please get reconciled to that now (or just sign up now and put me out of my misery!)

My best to you on this beautiful morning.  Play some pickleball for me!

Cheers,

Sandi Metz

2024 President

Durham Area Pickleball Players

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