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CBS News Icon Award
Nancy Munson, founder of Pickleball 4 Parkinson’s was honored by CBS Bay Area News with its Icon Award. This award honors local community leaders who do outstanding service to make the San Francisco Bay Area a better place. The news segment is available HERE. It was also reported on by CBS affiliates across the U.S. In being notified of the award, Nancy stated, “I am so very honored to receive this recognition on behalf of all the Pickleball 4 Parkinson’s donors, sponsors, volunteers, and players. The overwhelming support to help The Michael J. Fox Foundation find a cure for those afflicted with this debilitating disease is both heartwarming and motivating.”
Pickleball 4 Parkinson’s fundraiser hits an all-time high
Rossmoor News 07/01/2026
Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of Rossmoor residents, local sponsors and businesses, and individual donors from 17 U.S. states, the fourth Annual Pickleball 4 Parkinson’s (P4P) set a record in fundraising with $152,000 this year.
P4P had set a 2026 goal of $100,000. Since its debut four years ago, P4P has now raised more than $400,000 for The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease. The theme of fundraising was the joy of the sport, the joy of community, and the joy of giving.
P4P also set a new attendance record by drawing more than 650 people to its May 31 and June 1 event. Attendees were treated to championship pickleball matches June 1. There was standing room only in the spectator stands for a highlighted exhibition match by senior pickleball players who have won multiple gold medals in the U.S. and Europe.
The morning featured a decorated hat parade with themes of joy. Visitors bid for 54 items at the silent auction booth and picked up more than 100 prizes from the day-long drawings for prizes donated by local businesses. Representatives from The Michael J. Fox Foundation, Counseling Center, Fitness Center, sponsors and Rossmoor Pickleball Club provided information to attendees. The food booth was also a popular spot. Visitors wrote and posted messages on The Wall of Joy.
This year’s generous sponsors were Presenting Sponsor Kailani Kimoto of Rossmoor Realty; Platinum Sponsors Best Exteriors, Byron Park, Exceptional Senior Placement, Procopio Towle Dental Office, Service Champions, Quin Oaks Investment Group, Mary Beall/ReMax Accord and David Schubb and Victoria Haket/Compass Realtors; and Gold Sponsors American Stage Tours, BrightView, Fox & Bank Family Law and Rossmoor Pickleball Club.
The tournament coordinators were Patty Spinrod and Bob Walgren. Gold medal tournament winners of the Intermediate women’s and men’s categories were Maria Panameno and Brenda Zwas, and Kevin Dowling and Francis Wong. Intermediate silver medalists were Marianne Gunther-Murphy and Dale Mahoney, and Rick Hague and Gary Grellman.
In the Advanced Intermediate category, gold medalists were Sue Curtin and Terri Tobey, and Tom Denniston and Bill Farhood. Silver medalists were Nancy Gibbs and Di Harlow, and Jason LaBatt and Bruce Wilkoff.
The Advanced women’s gold medalists were Patty Andrews and Natalee Fairbanks. Silver medalists were Shelley Zell and Teresa Hoglund. The Advanced men’s category had two pools: Gold medal winners in Pool A were Larry Einspahr and Dan Ring, with Pool
P4P gold medal winners are, from left, front row, Kevin Dowling, Maria Panameno, Francis Wong, Sue Curtin, Natalee Fairbanks and Terri Tobey; back row, Larry Einspahr, Dan Ring,Patty Andrews, Brenda Zwas, Adrian Zidaritz and Bill Farhood.
2 winners John Swearingen and Adrian Zidaritz. Men’s silver medalists were Andrew Moran and Konstantin Ter-Avanesyan, and Ted Bentley and Steve Welty.
The two-day event featured 90 players and 80 volunteers, many of whom have some connection to a friend or family member who has Parkinson’s, the fastest-growing neurological disease in the world.
P4P had two special recognitions earlier this year. In March, The Michael J. Fox Foundation honored P4P as one its top 12 community fundraising organizations out of 320 in the U.S. Also, in March, CBS Bay Area News KPIX awarded its Icon Award to P4P founder and chairperson Nancy Munson for outstanding community leadership.
P4P’s Steering Committee is grateful for the Rossmoor and wider community’s continued support. P4P’s Steering Committee is Nancy Munson, Judy Bentley, Lu Lynn de Silva and Leanne Hamaji.
Visit P4P’s website at www.pickleball4parkinsons.com and Instagram page @pickleball. 4.parkinsons to learn more about P4P’s event. Also visit Rossmoor Walnut Creek’s Instagram page @rossmoorwc
Pickleball 4 Parkinson's Honored
During a ceremony in New York City, The Michael J. Fox Foundation honored Pickleball 4 Parkinson's as a 2024 MVP for their contribution to fund research for the cure. Join us today by clicking the button below.
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