A Heartwarming New Jersey Pickleball Story
This past summer, a pickleball community in South Jersey came together to support a friend in need.
The group plays pickleball every day at James Atkinson Memorial Park in Sewell, NJ. One of its founding members is Debbie Manfre, who absolutely loves the game and her pickleball community. "It's like being a kid again. It's like you're 12 years old and you don't have a care in the world," said Debbie. "You're out there just playing with your friends."
Debbie wasn't able to play this summer because she has been helping her husband, Jay, fight blood cancer. But the couple was not alone. When her pickleball community found out about Jay, it decided to help -- by raising thousands of dollars to help build a gazebo in their backyard so Jay can sit outside. The group is also raising money by selling bracelets that say "Team Jay #33," with a nod to Jay's high school football number.
The outpouring of support is a beautiful example of community and humanity at its best -- and it hasn't gone unnoticed. "Everybody who has done something for us isn't doing it because we need it," said Debbie. "They're doing it because they want to help out in some way."
