December 12, 2023
In just over a year, Fred and Susan Safipour and the Truckee Tahoe Pickleball Club have raised just shy of $1 million dollars to build a 17-court pickleball complex at Riverview Sports Park. Pickleball has boomed across the country, as young and old have discovered how easy and fun it is to play on small courts with light paddles and a wiffle-style ball. The efforts and enthusiasm from the community in support of the pickleball courts is reminiscent of how the Truckee Bike Park came to be, with grassroots efforts to fundraise and land use and building collaboration with Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District (TDRPD). Like Truckee Bike Park, a popular recreation and gathering spot, the pickleball courts will be on TDRPD land at Riverview Sports Park. Use of the 17-court outdoor complex will be free, but TDRPD will build, manage, and maintain the courts.
“This will be a place where the town will meet to play and to make new friends,”said Fred Safipour, Truckee Tahoe Pickleball Club president. “The great thing about pickleball is all ages and abilities can play and everybody has a blast.”
“The pickleball courts will be a great addition to the recreational offerings in Truckee,” said Sven Leff, TDRPD general manager. “Pickleball is a booming sport; popular with people of all ages. We are excited to bring this amenity to Tahoe.”
The complex will have 16 tournament-sized courts, plus a championship stadium, expected to be named in honor of Martis Camp Foundation, which gave the project a $300,000 grant. In addition to free drop-in play, Truckee Rec will offer lessons, camps, leagues, after-school programs, and tournaments.
Plans are to nestle the courts in Riverview Sports Park with tiered concrete seating, rather than metal bleachers, for spectators. Numerous benches and tables, made with material donated by Truckee Tahoe Lumber Company, will be sprinkled throughout the complex.
Ruppert Inc., a local excavating contractor, has donated the excavating and grading for the complex – another huge gift to the project. Numerous businesses, families, and foundations have given large gifts, including the Truckee Tahoe Airport District, Rubicon and Fireside Pizza, and Tahoe Forest Hospital.
The Pickleball Club, which formed a year ago, now has 225 members and is in charge of fundraising. The club is also selling bricks, pavers, benches, and courts whereby donors can memorialize their messages for generations to come.
“We are thrilled by the support we have received from the people, businesses, and foundations in Truckee,” said Safipour.
In addition to TDRPD programming, the Club will host mixers and tournaments for its members.
The Truckee Recreation District plans to submit its final permit application to the Town of Truckee in December. With approval, the District plans to break ground in the spring, build the courts, and open them for play in the summer of 2024.
This giving season, please consider helping the pickleball club unlock a $10,000 matching grant to build the Truckee Pickleball Complex. Each dollar you donate from now until the end of the year doubles.The match is good until midnight on December 31. Any individual donations and purchases of pavers, bricks, or benches unlocks the matching grant.
You can donate any amount by mailing a check to:
TDRPD
10981 Truckee Way
Truckee, CA 96161
Or by going to this link:
https://www.truckeepickleball.com/donate
Buying a brick, paver, or bench by 12/31/23 also counts toward the match:
https://www.truckeepickleball.com/pavers
