Drew Brees Hosting Celebrity Pickleball Tournament for the Second Year During Del Mar Wine & Food Festival to Benefit Feeding San Diego
Celebrity fundraising event will be held on Friday, October 4 at Bobby Riggs Racket & Paddle
This fall, the Whispering Angel Celebrity Pickleball Tournament, hosted by Drew Brees, is returning to the Del Mar Wine & Food Festival (DMWFF) to bring together celebrities, athletes, chefs, and hunger-relief supporters for an afternoon of pickleball for a good cause.
NFL legend Drew Brees will again host the charity event at Bobby Riggs Racket & Paddle in Encinitas on Friday, October 4 from 12 to 4 p.m. Celebrity athlete players include tennis pros James Blake and CoCo Vandeweghe, former San Diego Padre Mark Loretta, and Drew Brees himself. Participants have the opportunity to pair with pros and celebrities or play for the title in the advanced-expert and intermediate-advanced categories. The tournament also offers fun, casual recreational play for those looking to ease into the sport or a spectator ticket to eat, drink and watch the action happening on the courts. The purchase of a ticket directly benefits Feeding San Diego. Tickets vary from $125 to $600 per person depending on the level of play, with all tickets inclusive of food & beverage from brands such as Whispering Angel, Alesmith, Four Walls Whiskey, Hendrick’s Gin, Milagro Tequila, Loverboy, Dang Brothers Pizza, The Cottage, Sbicca, Jersey Mike’s, and many more.
In addition to the event on Friday, there will also be a new way to get outside, enjoy great food and drink and give back with the introduction of the Happy Fillmore Golf Classic benefiting Feeding San Diego. The golf event features a longest drive and pitch & putt competition, and tickets include food and beverages from more than 20 standout brands. The event will be held on Monday, October 7 from 2 to 5:30 p.m.at the Lomas Santa Fe Country Club in Solana Beach as part of the DMWFF. Tickets range from $90 as a spectator to $640 for a participating foursome.
The first of its kind in Southern California, the Del Mar Wine & Food Festival made its debut last year and saw more than 8,000 San Diego locals and visitors come out to partake in 20 culinary-fueled events. The festival not only provided an itinerary that showed off the best of the local and national culinary scene, but it also raised awareness and funds for Feeding San Diego. Last year, the festival donated $25,000 to the organization, through fundraising at multiple events. This year, event organizers hope to donate even more.
“It is an honor to again be chosen by the team behind the DMWFF as its charity beneficiary. The culinary community is interwoven with our cause because we all agree that access to nutritious food is a basic human right,” said Ali Colbran, senior director of development at Feeding San Diego. “We are looking forward to all of this year’s events and to the opportunity to have our organization showcased in front of such a large audience who can get involved by donating or volunteering.”
According to Feeding America, the national organization of which Feeding San Diego is a partner food bank of, there are more than 350,000 people in San Diego County experiencing hunger, including just over 100,000 children. Feeding San Diego provides nutritious food at no cost to children, families, seniors, college students, active duty, military families, and veterans in partnership with a network of over 300 local charities, schools, colleges, faith communities, healthcare providers, and meal sites. 92 percent of the food provided to the community is rescued from local and national food donors to protect people and the planet.
Last year’s pickleball tournament was sold out, with 300 tickets sold and more than 350 people in attendance. The event taps into the popularity of the sport of pickleball and transforms that popularity into an event that gives back.
