HERMISTON, Ore.-Pickleball players of all levels will swing into action Saturday to benefit people who have lost everything in disasters across the world in the first-ever Watermelon Slam pickleball tournament.
The event hosted by the Hermiston Rotary Club, 541 Pickleball and Good Shepherd Health Care System supports ShelterBox USA, an international disaster relief agency that delivers vital supplies, including tents, repair kits and water filters.
“The Watermelon Slam’s goal is to be more than just a great experience for people in the Northwest,” said Hermiston Rotary Club President-Elect Daniel Wattenburger. “The goal is also to raise money, get people around the globe access to life-changing supplies from ShelterBox.”
Hermiston Rotarians and other community members provide critical training for ShelterBox USA employees, board of directors’ members and volunteers each September during a three-day disaster simulation called S.A.F.E., or ShelterBox Advocate Field Experience.
Participants spend two nights in ShelterBox tents, visit disaster ravaged villages in the exercise and offer their assessments on what supplies are needed.
“The extended Hermiston Community has always been giving and outward looking, wanting to make an impact in the world,” said Wattenburger. “The people here are very can-do people.”
The Inaugural Watermelon Slam Pickleball Tournament runs from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Pickleball Complex at 1800 NW 6th Street in Hermiston.
While the S.A.F.E. training can be intense, the Watermelon Slam will take on a lighter tone, with participants competing, having fun and raising money for a good cause.
“As a novice player myself, I am looking forward to seeing who comes out and how I match up,” Wattenburger said with a laugh.
Since its founding in 2000, ShelterBox has provided emergency shelter and life-saving aid to more than three million people across 100 countries. The charity holds a 100% rating on Charity Navigator and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times, including in 2025, for its work in the world’s worst disaster and conflict zones.
To learn more or donate, visit www.shelterboxusa.org
