Dedication and Blessing.  Tuesday, May 16.  Koloa.  Anne Knudsen Park. 

 

“This is just the beginning.”   

 

A grateful thank you to County Parks and Recreation, Cindy Duterte and Melanie Okamoto ( I remember that day in March of 2015 when the three of us sat down to discuss the start of pickleball on Kaua’i), Mayor Derek Kawakami, the Kauai County Council and numerous others who played a major role in helping this project reach fruition.  Maika’i.  Also, a special thank you to our Kaua’i pickleball ‘Ohana, Dennis Fujimoto of The Garden Island Newspaper (I remember our first interview where we stood on the very same ‘old' Koloa tennis courts, in the rain, talking story about pickleball), Eddie Beetschen and Mark Wagner for their much appreciated involvement in the growth of this game on Kaua’i, pickleball ambassadors Lucia Bartels, Mike Wellman, Nolan Ahn, the Pickleball Association Kauai Board of Directors and my wife Stephanie, who has been there from day one positively supporting all that we do. Thank you for making sure, when we moved back home, that the first things going in the shipping container were the six nets, loaner paddles, and twenty dozen pickleballs.  We’ve put them to good use.

 

We’re official.  We’re on the map.  A middle of the Pacific picklehood with a permanent, dedicated public pickleball venue.  The first on Kaua’i.  Wow!!  

 

If a photo is worth a thousand words, enjoy these captures from our special dedication and blessing.  Photos courtesy of Loutoa Zoller, Berna McRoberts, Stephanie Sunn and Jack Hodges

 

Happy May, 2023.

Jack Hodges District Ambassador - State of Hawaii

Kaua’i Resident

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Click on the photos below to enlarge...