Pickleball tournament raises awareness, funds for brain-cancer research

Dozens of athletes picked up their pickleball rackets in a show of support for Curtis Brown and to raise money for brain-cancer research at the SEMO Chemo Smash pickleball tournament Saturday.

The Jackson resident was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, in May, after experiencing memory loss and a seizure while playing pickleball April 16 at the Jackson Civic Center.

The tournament, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the Cape Girardeau SportsPlex, was a way to raise awareness of brain cancer and collect funds for research of the disease.

Jim Berger, the tournament’s director, said about 225 athletes from 10 states competed in Saturday’s portion of the tournament from as far away as California. He said the tournament will be the largest in Missouri this year.

Curtis Brown of Jackson watches players compete in the SEMO Chemo Smash pickleball tournament Saturday at the Cape Girardeau SportsPlex. Brown was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, in May 2018. The tournament is a way to raise brain-cancer awareness and collect funds for brain-cancer research.Jacob Wiegand

Doug Brown, brother of Curtis, said he had the idea to have a pickleball tournament and originally thought it might be a way to raise money to send his brother on a vacation.

But Curtis had other ideas.

“He said, ‘Oh, no. If you want to raise money, that’s fine. ... We need to put it toward the cancer that I’ve got because they don’t have a cure for it,’” Doug said, quoting his brother.

Curtis Brown said he wanted the money to be used for research. He said he is fortunate to have the cost of his health care taken care of because he is a U.S. Army veteran.

“They haven’t done much for glioblastoma for over 20 years. And there’s been no advancement,” he said. “Maybe five years from now they’ll come up with something and I’ll be OK.”

Pickleball, a kind of cross between ping pong and tennis, is a sport for both young and old. Berger said athletes as young as teenagers as well as those up into their 80s are competing in the tournament.

Doug said more than $15,000 has been raised before expenses such as renting the event location. He said funds from the tournament, which he hopes will become an annual event, will go into the Curtis L. Brown Glioblastoma Research Fund.

“It’s amazing the support that we’ve had here today,” Curtis Brown said.

Brown, who has been a pickleball athlete for about four years, played in this weekend’s tournament and said his goal at one time was to play the sport full time as a professional.

“Hopefully, maybe one day, I’ll be able to do that again,” he said.

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Gold winners in their respective categories

Men's doubles skill groups: 5.0 The Professor Smith and Keenan Gore; 4.5 Chris Carpenter and Tom Ratzki; 4.0 RR Justin Johnson and Jordan Benoist; 3.5 Chad Shelton and Mark Coffman; 3.0 Garen Lafser and Hank Hicks; and 2.5 Nicholas Niemczyk and Harley Taylor.

Mixed doubles skill groups: 5.0 Kasandra Gehrke and The Professor Smith; 4.5 LeEllen Lane and Ari Roodhuyzen; 4.0 Kim Myers and Matthew Dyer; 3.5 Jan Thompson and Scott Phegley; 3.0 Laura Klein and Ronald Gunther; and 2.5 Linda Hubbs and John Hubbs.

Women's doubles skill groups: 5.0 RR Kasandra Gehrke and Katie McKee; 4.5 Ann Donohue and Melissa Powell; 4.0 RR Barbara Myles and Rita Gregory; 3.5 Sharon Lindsey and Alice McCrate; 3.0 Laura Klein and Georgeann Chambers; and 2.5 Ruth Ellen Holdman and Nancy Eaker.

jwiegand@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3643