Acing ALS is a new fundraising program that aims to use racquet sports – tennis, racquetball, and pickleball to bring together the community, increase awareness, and raise funds for critical research to end ALS at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI). This year, the goal is to complete a “50-state Pickleball Challenge” by presenting at least one pickleball event in every state in the US. On May 6, Paddle Up for ALS will kick off this series at the Pickleball Palace in West Orange, NJ.
The event will include a round-robin doubles pickleball tournament. Interested players can register as a team of two or as individuals. For beginners who are interested in checking out the country’s fastest-growing sport, group lessons with a pickleball pro will be available. There will also be food trucks, live music, and cornhole for both players and spectators.
Janet and Arthur’s Story
The tournament is being championed by Janet Coviello in honor of her late husband Arthur Cohen. Janet and Arthur's story includes an interesting connection to the sport of pickleball. They were not players or enthusiasts of the game, but they did raise money through pickles – the food, not the sport.
Arthur, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2013, had worked for years perfecting a recipe for pickles made with cucumbers grown in his garden in his spare time. When he had to leave his job as a professional photographer due to the progression of his disease, he turned to his longtime hobby to raise money for ALS research.
He began jarring and selling them under the brand names “Pickals,” with the motto “It’s crunch time for a cure.” All the proceeds supported ALS organizations including ALS TDI. His pickles eventually became so popular that they soon needed extra volunteers to help with production. Then they needed to contract a pickle factory to produce them to meet demand.
“It just took on a life of its own after a while,” says Janet. “I think it kept him going. He felt like he had a purpose.”
After Arthur passed away in 2017, the factory he had worked with, Patriot Pickle, and its owner Bill McEntee, agreed to help keep his legacy alive. To this day, they still donate a portion of the proceeds from their Natural Harvest pickle brand to support research at ALS TDI in Arthur’s honor.
Joining the 50-State Pickleball Challenge
When Janet heard about the 50-State Pickleball Challenge, she knew sponsoring a tournament would be a good fit with the Pickals brand. Working with ALS TDI Development Manager Michele Dupree, she began to lay out the plans for an event.
“Pickles and pickleball,” she says, “it’s just a natural fit. We decided to try to figure something out at a local pickleball club where I play, the Pickleball Palace. And then one day Michele called me and said, ‘they’re donating the use of eight courts’ which is incredibly generous.”
The owners of the Pickleball Palace, Sari Friedman Lee and Rebecca Lederman, were eager to help Janet however they could. The two women founded the pickleball club after falling in love with the sport, leaving their careers as a lawyer and a human resource professional to help others learn the game. When Janet, who plays at the Palace regularly, approached them about hosting the event they knew they wanted to help – both because of their dedication to serving their community, and their own personal connections to ALS. It just so happens that Sari’s great uncle and Rebecca’s sister-in-law’s mother both passed from the disease.
“I think we both look at opportunities like this as a way to give back,” says Sari. “We both just felt a connection to it because we know people have been personally affected. And then, when we met with Michelle and spoke with Janet, they were very passionate about the cause. It just seemed like something that we wanted to support.”
“I think basically the event is going to be a fun day of pickleball,” adds Rebecca. “It's going to support a great cause. People who participate are going to meet other people who are interested in having fun, playing pickleball, and supporting ALS.”
To learn more and sign up to attend the Paddle Up for ALS event on May 6, 2023, click here.
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