COMPANY: Showing veterans some love

Two years ago while I was wintering in Arizona, I became aware of the Adaptive Sports Program at the Phoenix VA Medical Center. I contacted the program coordinator to see if there was an interest in including pickleball. The coordinator was very interested.

As a pickleball instructor, I offered my services to conduct teaching clinics. The coordinator said great but there was no money available for equipment: paddles, balls, court time, etc. I set out to try and gather the necessary resources. When I got back to CDA my first contact was Selkirk Sports in Hayden. Selkirk is a family owned business that manufactures and markets high-quality pickleball paddles. The Barnes family couldn’t have been more generous. They immediately offered to provide paddles for the veterans program. I was able to pull together the other necessary resources and began weekly clinics.

Fast forward to earlier this month, and the veterans from Phoenix participated in the pickleball event at the National Veterans Golden Age Games in Anchorage. The veterans were able to win four silver and two bronze medals — all using Selkirk paddles! With the support from great companies, like Selkirk, disabled veterans are able to expand their experiences and enhance their lives.

Thank you Selkirk for your support.

FRANK CALI

Coeur d’Alene