2026 Award Recipient
AvaWeissman
Project Pickleball 4 A Purpose
Project Pickleball 4 A Purpose
Ava is the founder and president of Pickleball 4 A Purpose, a nonprofit that hosts intergenerational pickleball tournaments to combat senior loneliness and raise funds for senior and youth causes.
Growing up, Ava volunteered regularly at senior homes. She formed close bonds with residents, including one in particular who had no nearby family and looked forward to their card games and conversations. Those relationships instilled in Ava a deep commitment to the senior community. When she began playing pickleball with her grandmother and experienced firsthand the joy of connection across generations, she saw an opportunity to bring those two passions together.
Pickleball 4 A Purpose pairs each teen participant with a senior partner for pickleball games, a sport that has grown popular due to its accessibility to people of all ages. Pairings are made based on shared interests so players can bond over theater, finance, and other common pursuits. The result is not just a tournament, but the start of lasting friendships. Funds raised through ticket sales, sponsorships, and donations are distributed to senior wellness and youth development organizations, with donations totaling more than $55,000 by the end of the 2026 school year.
What began as a single tournament in Parkland, Florida has grown into a national movement. Pickleball 4 A Purpose operates 15 chapters across several states, mobilizing hundreds of teen volunteers and fostering even more intergenerational connections.
A nonprofit that pairs teens and seniors as pickleball tournament teammates to combat senior loneliness and raise funds for senior and youth causes.
