HAMPDEN, Maine (WABI) – The 5th annual Lady Sienna Pickleball Classic tournament took place at the Armstrong Tennis Center this past weekend. The event helps to benefit Lint Rollers and Lemonade, a non-profit that assists Maine families in dealing with serious medical issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve raised over $60,000 and so far, we\u2019ve donated $30,000 back of that to children and families, 30 families directly and then dozens of others through Eastern Maine Medical Center and the Lafayette Cancer Center,\u201d says Martha Ward, board secretary of Lint Rollers and Lemonade.<\/p>\n
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Both the tournament and the non-profit were created in honor of Sienna White Probert who died at age 17 after battling cancer in 2018. Friends of Sienna and her family say the event has helped in keeping her memory alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was fortunate enough to know Sienna from the day she was born until the day she that she passed away,\u201d says Ward, \u201cshe was part of our family, and she was like a cousin to our children.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMe and Sienna\u2019s dad coached basketball together for the kids, and my younger daughter played with her. Me and him have been friends for about 20 years now,\u201d says Nate Ellis, who participated in the tournament. <\/p>\n
Organizers say the event sees Sienna\u2019s family members travel from all over to help make the event possible. <\/p>\n
\u201cHer mom has been instrumental in this thing happening even as her brother coming from Michigan to join the same every year it\u2019s been a wonderful experience,\u201d says Dean Armstrong, who has been giving the tournament venue space to Lint Rollers and Lemonade for the last five years. <\/p>\n
Participants say the event has allowed affected to connect with each other, for a weekend of both bonding and friendly competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur dad had lung cancer last year and just had part of his lung removed not even a year ago. He\u2019s out playing, not even a year later, and it\u2019s just a great opportunity to get to play with my dad,\u201d says Amanda Turcotte, who teamed with her father at the tournament.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis event helps people that don\u2019t have that kind of backing that I had and knowing what to expect going in. They know they\u2019re not on their own. They know that they can get through this. It\u2019s a tough battle,\u201d says Ellis. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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