Altadena-Born Fire Survivor Network to Hold Pickleball Fundraiser Saturday in Arcadia

A pickleball group chat that turned into an evacuation network when the Eaton Fire reached Altadena in January 2025 will take over a public park in Arcadia on Saturday, this time to raise money.

The Every Fire Survivor’s Network will hold a Rally for Recovery at iPickle, a benefit for Eaton, Palisades and Malibu fire survivors still working through insurance claims and rebuilding in the second year after the fires.

Money raised supports the network’s survivor rebuilding work and its insurance reform advocacy, organizers said.

Festival and tournament play begins at 11 a.m., with friendly tournament finals at noon and an award ceremony with remarks from state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez at 12:40 p.m., organizers said. Pérez and Miguel Santana, president and chief executive of the California Community Foundation, are to take center court at 11 a.m. and will play in the festival’s exhibition match.

The tournament is open to all skill levels and includes a friendly bracket and a competitive bracket. Food trucks, a VIP Brunch Club, a Kids Zone and open play run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event spans 34 pickleball courts and is expected to draw 800 to 1,000 people, the network says. The Arcadia site has eight dedicated pickleball courts and 10 lighted tennis courts, according to iPickle. Pro-led beginner clinics, live music and a center court segment are planned, and no pickleball experience is required. Sam Laganà, the stadium announcer for the Los Angeles Rams, is billed on the microphone.

The network began as a pickleball WhatsApp group at an Altadena country club and now connects more than 10,000 survivors and allies, it says. “Survivor advocacy is just democracy at work,” executive director Joy Chen said in June.

Rally for Recovery runs Saturday, Aug. 22, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with festival and tournament play from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at iPickle, 405 S. Santa Anita Ave., Arcadia. Tickets and sponsorships are at givebutter.com/rally-for-recovery. For more, visit efsurvivors.net or email hello@efsurvivors.net.