Pickleball tournament donates $25,000 to Community of Hope

The Aaron Gifford Benefit Pickleball fundraising tournament held April 1-2 at Lions Park in Las Cruces raised more than $30,000. The organizing committee made a visit to Mesilla Valley Community of Hope (MVCH) May 1 to donate $25,000 to the nonprofit.

The 2023 tournament included 225 players from New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, California and Georgia, said committee member and tournament founder CeCe Hunter. Contributing to the fundraising were tournament registrations, tee shirt sales, sponsorships, a silent action and a tournament raffle.

The Aaron Gifford nonprofit brings awareness and supporting veterans with PTSD, Hunter said.

“We not only honor our son, brother, friend and soldier, Aaron Gifford, who lost his life from PTSD Jan. 8, 2018, but all veterans suffering from PTSD,” Hunter said. “We have worked with MVCMH for the past four years helping veterans get into their own homes. We also support Mission 22 that brings awareness that more than 22 veterans will be lost to suicide each day. That makes the war at home more dangerous than all combat missions around the world. Mission 22 provides ground support for veterans through medical, physiological and therapeutic programs.”

“MVCH is serving more veterans than ever,” said MVCH Executive Director Nicole Martinez. “We are honored to have the help of the Aaron Gifford Pickleball Benefit Tournament to help us serve veterans who are housing insecure and living outside. Our community is incredibly generous in their giving to others who have given so much for all of us.”

For more information, including getting involved with the pickleball tournament, email Hunter at cecehunter@gmail.com. Visit www.mvcommunityofhope.org and https://mission22.com/.