Pickleball tournament at Brookfield's Krueger Park will fundraise for medical aid in Gaza

A pickleball tournament in Brookfield this September will raise money for a cause close to the organizers' hearts.

Pickleball for Palestine will bring players and families to the courts at Krueger Park, 100 N. Columbia Blvd., on Sunday, Sept. 22, to benefit the Palestine Children's Relief Fund , a nonprofit providing medical aid to children in Gaza.

A donation of at least $25 gets participants a tournament T-shirt and a spot on the court to play against other players at their skill level.

All entry fees and 10% of sales by the restaurant Señor Gordito's will go to PCRF, according to Mazin Hamdan, the co-owner of Chubby's Cheesesteaks and Señor Gordito's.

Hamdan is organizing the event with friends Mohamed Lubbad and Randy Soudah. Hamdan and his brother Murad Hamdan will sponsor the event with their restaurants.

Participants can sign up here to play from 9 a.m. to noon or 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. As of Aug. 27, both time slots had spaces available for intermediate or advanced players on the Krueger Park pickleball courts, which opened in June.

The organizers chose to donate to PCRF due to the organization's long-standing commitment to improving the lives of Palestinian children, they said in a statement. They chose pickleball since it's an accessible, popular sport that can bring people together.

"By centering the event around pickleball, we’re creating a joyful and inclusive atmosphere where people can connect over a shared love of the sport while supporting a meaningful cause," the organizers said.

PCRF has provided free medical care to children in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria for more than 30 years. Its latest efforts have been focused on evacuating children from Gaza to countries abroad including the United States, for critical medical help they wouldn't get otherwise.

More: A nonprofit providing medical relief to Palestinian children now has a Milwaukee chapter

There are more than 2,200 Palestinians in Wisconsin, who make up about 0.04% of the state's population, according to 2022 U.S. Census data analyzed by World Population Review.

In the last 10 months, Palestinian Wisconsin residents have mourned the loss of family members who have been killed and worry about the safety of their loved ones in the region.

Since the Oct. 7 attacks that sparked the war, at least 40,435 Palestinians have been killed and 93,534 have been injured, according to reports from the Ministry of Health in Gaza. More than 1,200 Israelis have been killed, according to Israeli authorities and about 5,430 have been injured, according to reports from Israeli officials.

Some in the Milwaukee area have called for a ceasefire in Gaza and protested the U.S. sending aid to Israel for months, most recently at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago . Others have organized events to educate about Palestinian history and culture and raise funds locally for medical and humanitarian aid, including those who started their own chapter of PCRF .

While spots to play pickleball are filling up quickly, anyone can come watch the tournament Sept. 22 or make a donation so PCRF "can continue their life-saving work," Hamdan said.

Contact the reporter at bfogarty@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Pickleball tournament at Brookfield's Krueger Park will fundraise for medical aid in Gaza