About Us

Pickle4Pets: A Pickleball Fundraiser with Heart

Country Club East resident and avid pickleball player Bob Kichler had an idea—combine his love for pickleball with a passion for giving back. In 2022, he approached Jimmy Royalty, then Director of Pickleball at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, about organizing a charitable pickleball event. Jimmy recommended the Humane Society of Lakewood Ranch as the beneficiary and connected Bob with Debbie Rubin, an honorary Board Member of the Humane Society and a fellow pickleball enthusiast.

Energized by the idea, Bob gathered a group of friends to form a planning committee. Together with Debbie and fellow Board Member Cheryl Johnson, they secured approval from the Humane Society, and Pickle4Pets was officially born in June 2022.

Although the event was originally slated for earlier in the year, unanticipated construction delays for eight new pickleball courts pushed the event date to November 13, 2023.