Pick up your paddle!
Pickleball enthusiasts can kick off 2025 by rallying for the Salvation Army Tucson Amphi Corps Community Center on Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Tucson Racquet & Fitness Club, 4001 N. Country Club Road.
The Saguaro Slam Pickleball Tournament seeks to raise at least $20,000 to benefit after-school programming and summer camps for children who use the community center and facilities at 218 E. Prince Road.
“We were looking for something out of the box, and we put two and two together and thought, ‘Let’s capitalize on the pickleball craze.’ People can play pickleball from ages 8 to 80 — everyone likes it, and it is very inclusive. We are seeing tournaments pop up throughout the city, so we thought it would be cool to try,” said Ryan Maese, event chair.
An avid pickleball player himself, Maese is also a member of the Advisory Council for the Amphi Corps, one of three local branches of the Salvation Army Tucson. Other branch locations are the Salvation Army Hospitality House, 1002 N. Main Ave., and Salvation Army Tucson All Nations, 1001 N. Richey Blvd.
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Maese became involved with the advisory council at the suggestion of a friend when he was searching for a volunteer challenge post-COVID.
“The Salvation Army really does ‘boots-on-the-ground’ work, feeding and clothing people and providing after-school programs and summer programs for kids,” he said.
A former teacher who now works as land search specialist at KB Home, Maese has always had a special place in his heart for assisting kids.
“It is always terrible to see a child in need,” he said. “Something about that is instinctive in me; I just want to help better their situation however I can. ... These are future business owners, community leaders, parents, doctors, nurses and lawyers. If we can help nurture them in a tough environment, all the better.”
Maese is gratified about upgrades at the Amphi Corps Community Center, which recently opened a new Splash Pad Park that includes a splash pad, green turf game area and covered playground. The community center, which also offers a kitchen and gymnasium, is looking for innovative ways to expand and become a “community hub,” according to Brent Church, who is co-captain of the Amphi Corps with his wife, Kristy.
“When we talk with community members and leaders and reach out to parents in the community, there is so much we want to expand upon what we do. ... We have seen exponential growth in our programs,” said Church.
For $50 per student monthly, the After School Program provides care five days weekly, using a van and bus to pick up kids from Amphitheater Middle School, Holloway Elementary School, Prince Elementary School, La Cima Middle School and Nash Elementary School. In addition to homework help, students can enjoy music, sports and recreation programs and snacks. It also offers free open gym time to neighborhood students each Wednesday. Summer camps provide similar programming.
Maese has been inspired by the initiatives that are vital to the overall mission of the Salvation Army.
“I have seen a real 360-degree view of the work the Salvation Army does and I am pretty impressed,” said Maese. “This neighborhood is underserved, and anything we can do to help — from the playground and splash pad to families receiving food boxes and just having a safe place for the kids to be after school so they don’t have to worry about where to do their homework or what they will have to eat at night — is so important.”
Volunteer Donal Drayne, 76, has been a member of the Amphi Corps Advisory Council for more than three decades. He has witnessed the impact of the programs on the neighborhood children, many being raised in single-parent households.
“We want to focus on the growth of the kids with our programs. We are their safe haven. We have to make them feel wanted and feel that they are important and we do that by building inner confidence,” said Drayne, who initially became involved after attending a Salvation Army fundraiser at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, where he worked for decades as catering manager.
“I saw what was going on at the Amphi Corps and it is a whole different world from Prince and Stone to La Paloma Resort. I knew immediately, ‘This is where the need is, and I need to be involved,’ and I never get tired of it. I love engaging the kids and giving them the opportunity to talk about different cultures and be open-minded,” said Drayne. The native of Northern Ireland cited the example of one participant who went on to graduate from the University of Arizona. Years later, he recognized Drayne’s distinctive accent when they reconnected in a business setting.
“He told me the formation of his life started at those After School Programs and now through his business, he is contributing to the community,” said Drayne, adding that he believes strongly we are all connected and “none of us are better than anyone else.”
“I want kids to leave with positive thoughts in their minds and realize that, ‘Just because of my background, I shouldn’t sell myself short,’” he said.
He encourages others to consider donating time, talent and/or treasure to the Salvation Army Amphi Corps or another nonprofit or their choice. Drayne — who is also a member of the board of directors for Tucson Medical Center and the TMC Foundation, and a volunteer for Catholic Foundation of the Diocese for Tucson — emphasized that every little bit helps to make a difference in the world.
“There are so many organizations doing so much good in the community and there is so much need out there,” Drayne said. “Some people think, ‘My help is not going to do much,’ but we have to start somewhere. Young or old, everyone can do something to help mankind.”
