Aug. 8 pickleball tournament in Ocean Pines to support Mary Mac Foundation

(June 30, 2020) Hoping to make up some fundraising ground lost to COVID-19 postponements, the Mary Mac Foundation this week announced plans for a charity pickleball tournament, scheduled next month in Ocean Pines. 
 
Foundation co-founders Tim and Don McMullen previously announced the cancelation of the ninth annual charity golf tournament, because of the pandemic. However, the McMullens said they still hope to raise $30,000 to keep their pledge to area youth groups, who annually receive donations from the Mary Mac Foundation. 
 
Enter pickleball tournament organizers Daryl and Cathy Noble, and Frank Kramer, who came up with the idea for the inaugural “Mary Mac Foundation Pickleball Beach Fest.”
 
“We had made $30,000 in commitments to youth groups, and the [foundation] board of directors met and decided we still have to fulfill their commitments,” Tim McMullen said. “And, on their own, Daryl, Cathy and Frank stepped up with the idea for the tournament. And I was deeply humbled.”
 
The Mary Mac Foundation each year raises funds for local and regional youth programs to honor Mary McMullen (1948-2012), a special education instructor at Severna Park High School and Ruth Eason School in Millersville, Maryland. During the 1970s, she also helped established the Ocean Pines Recreation and Parks Department.
 
Programs supported by the foundation include Camp Barnes, a residential camp in Frankford, Delaware for low-income children, and Camp St. Vincent de Paul in Baltimore, an organization offering eight-week summer camps for homeless children. The foundation also supports summer youth recreation programs in Ocean Pines.
 
The Mary Mac Foundation Pickleball Beach Fest is scheduled Saturday, Aug. 8 beginning at 8 a.m. Scattered start times are possible and the rain date is Sunday, Aug. 9. The tournament will have a round-robin format based on skill level, with alternating partners. 
 
The cost to enter is $30, per person.
 
For questions or to register, email [email protected].
 
Checks may be made payable to: Mary Mac Foundation, 174 Nottingham Lane, Berlin, Maryland 21811. 
 
To pay online, visit marymac.org.
 
Along with the pickleball tournament, McMullen said members of the Ocean Pines Golf and Racquet Sports community, upon hearing news that the annual golf event was canceled, have already pledged to aid the foundation. 
 
That support, he said, should help the foundation come close to its fundraising goals, despite not being able to host what has become its signature event. 
 
“It’s because of the generosity of this great community that we are going to be able to fulfill many of our commitments,” McMullen said. “I just think it’s fantastic, and it means that people understand that the purpose of the foundation is to help homeless and low-income kids. It’s always a problem within our society but, now, with the pandemic, it’s more important than ever. 
 
“All of this is just a testament to the fact that this community that we live in is so special. It’s full of wonderful people and it’s just a great community to live in,” he added.