Charity Pickleball Tournament Supports Local Cancer Care
Local operators can leverage recreational sports to drive direct philanthropic support for community health centers.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Bonnie and Andrew Stallings hosted a charity pickleball tournament at The Sports Haus in Norwalk to benefit the Paint the Town Pink campaign. The event directs all net proceeds toward medical imaging and support services for underserved women at the Bennett Cancer Center.
Why it matters
The fundraiser highlights how local operators can leverage popular recreational trends like pickleball to generate philanthropic support for community health initiatives. These efforts directly fund essential diagnostic services for patients at the Bennett Cancer Center.
The charity tournament directed 100% of its net proceeds toward medical services including mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRIs. These funds specifically support the Paint the Town Pink campaign at the Bennett Cancer Center at Stamford Health.
The players
Andrew Stallings
President of the Athelo Group and co-host of the charity tournament.
Bennett Cancer Center
A facility within Stamford Health that provides cancer treatment and diagnostic services to the community.
Bonnie Stallings
The event co-host and a breast cancer survivor who received care at the Bennett Cancer Center.
The details
The event utilized a pickleball tournament format to mobilize local participants and raise awareness for breast cancer support services. Organizers funnel the entirety of the event’s net income into the Bennett Cancer Center, which provides diagnostic imaging and patient support. This model demonstrates a direct-donation approach where event participants effectively subsidize clinical care for underserved populations in the Fairfield County area.
Timeline
October 23, 2026: The charity pickleball tournament took place.
2018: Bonnie Stallings received a stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis.
Market Landscape
The pickleball fundraiser supports the established Paint the Town Pink campaign managed by the Bennett Cancer Center. This event follows a trend of local businesses and operators integrating social impact goals into their public-facing recreational activities.
Operators looking to align their brand with community health can use targeted sporting events to drive measurable financial support for regional clinical partners. Tracking the efficiency of net-proceed donations remains a critical metric for maintaining transparency with participants.
The takeaway
This event demonstrates how niche sports can act as a catalyst for significant clinical fundraising through direct net-proceed donations. Operators should track the event's longevity and community engagement rates as a benchmark for future philanthropic partnerships.
What happens next
The organizers intend to continue their partnership with the Bennett Cancer Center for many years, suggesting future iterations of the event.
Further reading
Learn more about local charitable initiatives in the Philanthropy section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by News 12 - Connecticut.
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