MOULTRIE – In order to raise funds to assist each Colquitt County resident currently undergoing cancer treatment, Lemongrass Spa Products hosted the first annual Dink for Pink Pickleball Tournament.

The event started at 8 a.m. and lasted the majority of Saturday, played on the Moultrie-Colquitt County Parks and Recreation Authorities pickleball courts.

“We had 40 players for our inaugural event,” said Liz Ruis, who works at Lemongrass Spa Products and was one of the organizers of this event. “Our players served up hope with their registration fees.”

Each registration included a Hope box filled with products specifically designed to alleviate the discomforts of chemotherapy and inspire hope for the future.

”We met and exceeded our goal,” said Ruis. “We are so thankful.”

The boxes will later be donated to the anonymous Colquitt County cancer patient the pickleball athlete represented.

“The players really jumped into the theme of the day,” said Ruis. “Everyone wore pink and the play was really fun, yet competitive.”

Five different categories of play occurred during the tournament with one men’s doubles option and a beginner and intermediate level of play for both women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Placing first for beginning mixed doubles were Donna Bennett and Dusting Clark. Second place was Jill Savoie and Jamie Lowery.

Leah Braswell and Dalton Murphy placed first in intermediate mixed doubles, while Ashley Blalock and Keith Blalock won second place.

Winning in the beginner women’s doubles were Dru McLeod and Allie Eure. Following behind them in second was the duo of Rachel Williams and Alexa Smith.

The intermediate women’s doubles saw Emily Hall and Rachael Hall take first. Cathy Bledsoe and Diana Bryson finished second place.

In men’s doubles, Jason Cox and Dalton Murphy won first with Judson Payton and David O’Neal in second place.

The event was also primarily sponsored by Good Samaritan Counseling Inc, as well as some minor sponsors; which included: Scrap Metal, Georgia Boy, Surcheros, Swartzentruber Medical Shanklin Farms, Elllianos, Deeply Rooted, Southern Life Professionals, LSI and many individual sponsors.

Dink for Dinners, a pickleball tournament held earlier this month in support of Georgia Community Action Council, also donated to the charity.

“We want to sincerely thank and honor each of our sponsors,” said Ruis. “We could not have done this without their support. This tournament has shown us what a generous community we live in.”

At the conclusion of the tournament, there was nothing but positivity. “We defined success of this first tournament as walking away with plans to start working on the second annual Dink for Pink charity pickleball tournament,” said Ruis. “We realized that success because the players were already saying how they were looking forward to playing against next year.”

Needless to say, planning has already begun.

“We plan to host the next annual charity tournament in October 2024,” said Ruis. “Several of the players even volunteered to be part of the advisory board to help us craft and create a very special experience next year that will be even more competitive, fun and hopeful.”