KidWorks’ 5th Women’s Pickleball Tournament nets more than $73,000 for nonprofit’s College Success Initiative™

Held April 20, the 55th KidWorks Women’s Pickleball Tournament drew 64 women, who came to play for a great cause on the pickleball courts at The Tennis Club at Newport Beach Country Club.

The fundraising initiative is the brainchild of a committee of dedicated women who want to assist the Santa Ana-based nonprofit that provides academic, personal development, and leadership programs for children and teens in overlooked communities.

This time, the popular tournament raised more than $73,000 for the KidWorks College Success Initiative, which prepares first generation college students for higher education beyond high school and includes the nonprofit’s College Apps Academy, Campus Crash event, plus engagement with its college counselor, care packages for its college students and more. Over the last four years, the KidWorks’ Pickleball Tournament has raised more than $220,000 in total.

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Courtesy of KidWorks

(L-R) Heather Gaughan, Sharon Roy, Kim Carpenter, Beth Hallett, Debbie Trammel, Kathy Ursini, Wendy Hafer Cox, Lori Junkins, Corrine Morgenstern, Kyle Team, Lisa Gels and Jill Schriber

The 2023 tournament committee members from Newport Beach were chair Kathy Ursini, along with Lori Junkins, Heather Gaughan, Sharon Roy, Jill Schriber, Ellen Small, Wendy Hafer Cox, Debbie Trammell and Kyle Team, plus Leslie Montgomery, C.C. Knowles and Corinne Morgenstern, all of Corona del Mar. Team is also a KidWorks board member. Also participating in the event was Leslie Seidner, a member of the KidWorks Advisory Council and resident of Newport Beach.

The tournament winners were: Pink Division – 1st Place winners were Keri Olsen and Erin Hendricks; 2nd Place winners were Sharon Roy and Shelly Read, and 3rd Place winner was Susan Vigil. Blue Division – 1st Place winner was Victoria Clement, 2nd Place winner was Jullian Gabrielli and 3rd Place winner was Kristen McGuiness. Green Division – 1st Place winner was Dana Courselle, 2nd Place winner was Angelique Garbers and 3rd Place winner was Shannon Woolgar. Orange Division – 1st Place winner was Ellen Demaio, 2nd Place winner was Rhonda Gatley and 3rd Place winners were Denise Larson and Loni Gritsch.

Sponsors included: Presenting Sponsor, The Gaughan Family; Court Sponsor, Oltman’s Construction Co. and Event Sponsor, PTS. Other sponsors were Champions Of The Court –The Ammerman Family, Susie and Mark Luer and the Schlinger Family Foundation, and Queens Of The Court – Helen Fedalan, Kyle Team and Sandy Wirta.

“Thanks to the hard work and devotion of the KidWorks’ Women and the Women’s Pickleball Tournament Committee, our 2023 event was a sellout,” said Lisa Gels, KidWorks associate director of development. “Their efforts provided such fun and comradery as our participants played for a purpose.”

For nearly a decade, 100% of KidWorks’ high school students have graduated on time and 100% have gone onto higher education. The committee would like to thank all of the amazing sponsors and players who came to support KidWorks’ students on the path towards college success.

For more information and to donate to KidWorks, call Lisa Gels at 714.834.9400, ext. 126 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..