A Pasadena nonprofit that provided free medical care to nearly 9,000 local families in fiscal year 2023-24 is heading back to the pickleball court to raise money for its next round of services.
Young & Healthy will hold its second annual Pickleball Palooza on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Arcadia County Park pickleball courts, 405 S. Santa Anita Ave. in Arcadia. The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with registration at $75 for tournament play and $50 for a clinic and beginner track, according to Pasadena Now.
The clinic option is new. The inaugural Palooza on Sept. 27, 2025, offered only the tournament format and still drew 39 sponsors, including Kaiser Permanente, Huntington Health, Shriners Children's and Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
"The response to our inaugural Pickleball Palooza exceeded every expectation," co-executive director Shelley Boyle said in an Aug. 4 press release announcing the Oct. 10 event.
Boyle and fellow co-executive director Liz Arnold lead an organization founded in 1990 by 19 Pasadena physicians who agreed to donate their time to children without access to medical or dental care. Since then, Young & Healthy has delivered more than $24.9 million in donated professional services and helped over 34,285 children, according to the organization's website.
In fiscal year 2023-24, the nonprofit served 8,943 Pasadena-area families. Of those, 2,201 received direct clinical services. Its volunteer network includes more than 350 healthcare professionals and 500 community volunteers who provide free medical, dental and mental health care to children from birth to age 18 who live or attend school in the greater Pasadena area. Former foster youth qualify through age 25.
About one-third of children in the Pasadena community need the kind of care Young & Healthy provides, the organization says.
The Oct. 10 format is a rotating-partner round-robin tournament alongside the new clinics, with food, drinks and raffle prizes. Al and Tori Mordecai and Chris and John Westwater are sponsoring the 2026 event.
Registration and sponsorship opportunities remain open. Contact senior development associate Doreen Aitelli at 626-795-5166 or visit yhpasadena.org.
Upcoming Pasadena-area community events
- Aug. 15 — Jade Marlin Foundation free backpack and school supply giveaway, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., 900 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena. Children must be present.
- Sept. 28 — Friends In Deed "Cooking for a Cause" fundraiser, Agnes Restaurant, 444 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena. Applications open through Aug. 23.
- Oct. 4 — Convalescent Aid Society Garden Party honoring Leeza's Care Connection. Tickets $200.
- Oct. 10 — Young & Healthy Pickleball Palooza, 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Arcadia County Park, 405 S. Santa Anita Ave., Arcadia. $75 tournament / $50 clinic. Info: yhpasadena.org or 626-795-5166.
