Credit: We Are Sharing Hope SC
We Are Sharing Hope SC (SHSC), South Carolina's federally designated organ recovery program, hosted its inaugural "Pickleball for Hope" fundraising tournament today at Pickleball Kingdom in Mt. Pleasant. The event raised awareness of the life-saving impact of organ, eye, and tissue donation while fostering connections among donor families, transplant recipients, and local community members.
By centering the event around pickleball, one of the nation's fastest-growing sports, the organization engaged a diverse audience while raising funds and educating the public on the impact organ and tissue donation can have on so many people’s lives.
Funds raised will directly support SHSC's outreach and education initiatives, which are critical to expanding the South Carolina donation registry and providing support services to donor families throughout South Carolina.
"The tournament was a resounding success, bringing together donor families, transplant recipients, and community members for a celebration of life and friendly competition," said Krystal Cau, Director of Communications at We Are Sharing Hope SC. "Seeing the community unite to champion our mission was incredibly inspiring, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who participated. The funds and awareness raised will strengthen our ability to support families and advance organ, eye, and tissue donation across South Carolina."
"Participating in this tournament was an empowering experience for me," said Angelique Cunningham, a liver transplant recipient. "Being on the court with other recipients and donor families reminded me of the incredible gift of life I've received. To me, the competition was about more than just a game; it was about community, gratitude, and showing others that donation makes a second chance possible for people like me."
We Are Sharing Hope SC looks forward to growing the event in the coming years and continuing to inspire the community to make the selfless decision and say “yes” to donation.