Thirty-six years after 19 Pasadena physicians agreed to treat children who could not otherwise get care, the nonprofit they founded is raising money for that work on a pickleball court.
Young & Healthy will hold its second annual Pickleball Palooza on Saturday, October 10, at the Arcadia County Park pickleball courts, according to a Young & Healthy press release. Registration is $75 for tournament play and $50 for the clinic and beginner play. Proceeds support the free medical, dental, mental health and health insurance services the Pasadena nonprofit arranges for low-income children and families throughout the greater Pasadena area.
The organization, based at 136 West Peoria Street in Pasadena, reported serving 8,943 Pasadena-area families in fiscal year 2023-2024. Of those, 2,201 received direct clinical services.
The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 405 South Santa Anita Avenue in Arcadia, at a park operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. The eight permanent pickleball courts there are operated by iPickle, a division of iTennis, Inc.
The format is a rotating partner round-robin tournament, with pickleball clinics, beginner play, food and drinks, and raffle prizes, according to the release.
Young & Healthy held the first Pickleball Palooza on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at the same courts, during the same hours, at the same two price points. That event drew 39 listed sponsors, among them All Saints Church, Huntington Health, Kaiser Permanente, Shriners Children’s and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
“The response to our inaugural Pickleball Palooza exceeded every expectation,” Shelley Boyle, co-executive director of Young & Healthy, said in the release.
“Every serve, volley, and point played helps ensure local children receive the healthcare they deserve,” Liz Arnold, the organization’s other co-executive director, said in the same release.
Young & Healthy, a Pasadena-based 501(c)(3), began in 1990 as a group of 19 physicians who agreed to donate their time to Pasadena-area children without access to medical or dental care. The organization reports a network of more than 350 volunteer healthcare professionals and more than 500 community volunteers, and said in 2024 that it had provided upward of $24.9 million in donated professional services and helped more than 34,285 children since its founding. Its services are free to children from infancy to age 18 who live or attend school in the greater Pasadena area, and its certified insurance enrollers help families navigate Medi-Cal and Covered California. The organization also offers income tax preparation assistance and trauma-informed care training for community partners.
Al and Tori Mordecai and Chris and John Westwater are sponsoring this year’s tournament, and registration and sponsorship opportunities are open, according to the release. Information is available from Doreen Aitelli, senior development associate, at 626-795-5166 or daitelli@yhpasadena.org, or at yhpasadena.org.
Boyle, speaking at the organization’s founders luncheon in February, said Young & Healthy’s model works because of where it sits. “It’s just the right size,” she said, “and it’s a very caring and generous community.”
NEED TO KNOW
Young & Healthy’s 2nd Annual Pickleball Palooza takes place Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Arcadia County Park pickleball courts, 405 South Santa Anita Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91006. Registration is $75 for tournament play and $50 for the pickleball clinic and beginner play. For more, call 626-795-5166 or visit yhpasadena.org.
