All the best people are buying tickets and all the best businesses are donating to the silent auction in preparation for the next big EPC social event, the Nov. 19 Holiday Gala and EChO benefit from 5 to 9 p.m. at The Wild Game.

This is an event not to be missed no matter your age, playing ability, length of club membership or general lack of interest in anything other than actually playing pickleball. We know a lot of you are out there gathering in each others’ homes for dinner, drinks, cards, board games and for all we know Call of Duty, so let’s bring those private groups together for once and socialize in one big, happy do-gooding conglomeration.

According to marketing guru Bob Taber, previous EPC newsletter editor and club president, something must be published three times before people stamp it on the calendar in their heads. Consider this your second notice.

It also helps if those of you who are going to be there encourage your friends to go too. It’s for a worthy local cause, after all, and we’re aiming to top the $2,000 we raised for Evergreen Christian Outreach last year.

EPC social director Kathy Kincannon is planning everything from a gift raffle, to a kids’ Christmas tree, to a dessert contest to raise funds while showing everyone a good time. And, “The silent auction is coming along,” she said. “Many of the downtown Evergreen business owners are donating.”

She is encouraging bakers to enter the evening’s dessert contest with their favorite homemade cupcakes, bite-sized preferred. Party-goers will be tasked with selecting a prize-winning favorite that evening. To enter, please email Kathy Kincannon with the kind of cupcake you will be making.

A Christmas tree will be festooned with pickleball-stamped envelopes to be filled with checks from party attendees, who will mail them directly to EChO. Suggested amounts will be written inside the envelopes to let you make kids’ Christmas wishes come true.

Prizes from EPC will be raffled off, with extra tickets available for purchase. Branded gear will be up for grabs, along with many other prizes.

Tickets to the Gala are available on the EPC website; you don’t need to be a club member so bring your friends even if they don’t play pickleball (yet). The ticket price of $35 each covers $20 for food from Genesee Pub & Barbecue, a $10 donation to EChO and $5 for gratuity and a raffle ticket.

Gifts wait for raffle winners to be drawn at last year’s Gala and Benefit.

EPC members meeting, board election scheduled for December

The 2024 Evergreen Pickleball Club annual general membership meeting will take place Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Birch Room at Wulf Recreation Center. All EPC members are encouraged to attend.

Three positions on the EPC board of directors are up for election this year. The incumbents, Bob Kerr, Jim Hunsaker and Mick Pearce, are running to retain their seats. However, any EPC member in good standing may run to fill one of the three open seats. To place your name in consideration, email EPC Vice President John Dunlop.

The current board members running for election hold important positions on the 11-person working board. Bob Kerr, who is currently filling out Sarah German’s term, is the board president. Jim Hunsaker is the webmaster and Mick Pearce is the tournaments director.

All EPC members may vote on board of directors candidates, but only in person at the meeting, per EPC Bylaws.

Roger Miles and his grandson, Miles, joined the gang at Marshdale recently.

East-west divide at Marshdale

The EPC board voted at its meeting Oct. 8 to revise the way the Marshdale courts are divided by skill level. Instead of Competitive and Recreational players being assigned one end or the other a month at a time, the division will now be from the first of the month to the 16th, and from the 17th to the end of the month.

Winter weather could actually arrive at some point, so the situation may generally work itself out until spring. But for now, said EPC President Bob Kerr, “We’ll give it a try and go from there.”

Since Rec players have been assigned the west courts for all of October, November will begin with Competitive on the west courts. What happens when there is a surplus of players at one end and an empty court at the other end? “Use it but get off after the game when people are waiting,” Bob said. Makes sense.

What happens when it snows?

Bob Kerr answered this on TeamReach, where inquiring minds wanted to know. “When snow is a couple of inches and melts off quickly they will remain open. Heavy snow they will get locked and can reopen if it melts off.”

Bob added that there will be no snow removal at Marshdale unless Mother Nature accomplishes it. No word on the snow situation at Evergreen Middle School yet, but he’ll let us know.

And no, Nancy Hughes, do not bring a ladder no matter how severe your withdrawal symptoms. The courts are under surveillance now.

It’s a party: Be there or be missed

EPC Holiday Gala will be bigger and better