Educate Fairfax Hosts First Pickleball Tournament to Raise Funds for FCPS
- alexis10428
- Apr 23
- 2 min read
Educate Fairfax raised more than $11,000 to support Fairfax County Public Schools through its first-ever Dink & Donate Pickleball Tournament on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Educate Fairfax is the only nonprofit dedicated to solely supporting FCPS, and the tournament was designed to raise awareness and rally support for the importance of public education in our community.
Hosted at DTL - Down the Line in Annandale, the tournament brought together more than 70 teachers, students, parents, administrators, families, and even FCPS School Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid, to celebrate the power of learning while engaging in a high-energy sport.
“This tournament is just one of the many ways we are raising funds to support our students and educators,” stated Dr. Lynette Henry, executive director of Educate Fairfax, “We’re being creative in bringing people together to better understand the emerging needs across our division to include supporting our programs like scholarships for students experiencing financial hardship, our FCPS CARES of the Quarter awards that recognize teacher and staff excellence, and classroom grants that increase access to student opportunities and resources, to name a few. Fundraisers like this help us garner support for our many programs that work to equalize the playing field for every student.”
Educate Fairfax Board Member, Jane Petty, designed the pickleball fundraiser concept and DTL stepped in to manage the physical tournament.
A beginner clinic was held for those who had no experience with pickleball, followed by three tournament sessions, resulting in nine teams winning gold, silver, or bronze medals.
Five lucky attendees won a raffle prize donated by one of the many sponsors.
Joining DTL as sponsors were Burke & Herbert Bank, Brandito, CSI, Bauernshub Realty, Design Pro, Guernsey, Fairfax Ace Hardware, Cox Business, and Merrifield Garden Center. Educate Fairfax plans to make the tournament an annual event.
