PACC History

Click to Read PACC's Story

The Pickleball Association of Cleveland County (PACC) is a group of pickleball enthusiasts passionate about connecting with others, improving their pickleball skills, and building strong community bonds. Many of our current members were playing pickleball for years by drawing chalk lines on old tennis courts or laying painters’ tape to play and pulling it up after their games; however, they had a vision of designated pickleball courts on which to play and share the sport they had grown to love while improving the social, emotional, and physical health of our community. Through determination, hard work, and a fortuitous partnership with Cleveland County Schools monies were raised to renovate the J.L. Suttle Tennis Courts into six dedicated pickleball courts and two tennis courts that were also lined for four portable pickleball courts. Community interest heightened and grants were awarded from the Dover Foundation and the Cleveland County Healthcare Foundation. The courts officially opened in the spring of 2021 and our community of pickleball players has seen phenomenal growth. In 2024 PACC ran a "Dink, Drive, Donate" campaign that raised over $50,000 that funded an expansion of our "back courts" into six permanent pickleball courts for a total of 12 permanent courts. PACC continues to offer tournaments and leagues which support the cost of maintenance and operation. Take a tour of PACC's journey and see how a small community came together with a shared cause, diligence, and determination to create the wonderful space we have to gather and enjoy the game of pickleball!

First Campaign 2020/2021

This was the initial fundraising campaign to collect donations to revitalize the Suttle's tennis courts owned by the Cleveland County Schools. A group of dedicated pickleball players organized and worked diligently to gather financial support from community businesses, organizations, and many individuals to make a dream of having dedicated pickleball courts a reality. Click the arrow at the right to see the list of amazing donors that stepped up to bring dedicated pickleball courts to the Shelby community.

Yearly PACC Donors

With the age of the underlying asphalt courts, it was anticipated that the courts would develop cracks over time and would need to be resurfaced periodically to keep the courts in decent playing condition. PACC was offiially formed to continue to raise funds to help the school system maintain the courts. One way to generate a steady stream of funds to be held for future resurfacing was solicitation of a voluntary annual donation of $30 from folks who used the courts on a regular basis and wanted to help support the cause. That practice began in 2022 and continues today. Click the arrow at the right to see the lists of annual donors that contibuted to the maintenance of the courts.

Fundraising Events

Another way PACC decided to raise funds for the courts was through hosting ladder leagues, tournaments, and special holiday events. PACC board members and volunteers from our pickleball community have generously given of their time and talents to host these fun events. All the proceeds collected for PACC sponsored events go into the court maintenance fund for future upkeep and facility improvements.

Dink, Drive, Donate 2024

This was the second fundraising drive to collect funds to resurface the cracking courts and convert the Sumter-side to dedicated pickleball courts. We raised more than $50,000 to acheive our goal of exapanding Suttle's complex to have 12 dedicated pickleball courts. PACC began hanging business banners to thank donors for thier generous support. We also thanked our individual donors with a large banner showing a drone view of the new courts surrounded with their names. Click the arrow at the right to see the banner. The business banners may be found on the Supporters page.

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