Radley Run Country Club Hosts Fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity

February 13, 2019
West Chester, PA
By Gray Dinsel

On a blustery cold Friday evening in February, Radley Run Country Club in West Chester, Pennsylvania hosted a youth fundraising event to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Chester County, PA. Eighteen high school boys and girls came together for a wholesome evening of fabulous paddle play, while raising money for a great cause.

The event was planned in less than two weeks as I came up with the idea on a whim. Unfortunately, it ended up taking place during a polar vortex and we had a mid-afternoon snow squall that dumped two inches of snow in less than an hour. The 7:00PM start time of our tournament was delayed because the lower courts were covered in two inches of icy snow. I assigned a few players who had played at Radley before to get brooms from the maintenance shed and sweep the snow off the courts. Our faithful heaters, in time, finished the job and melted the snow and ice. The courts were safe, and the tournament began. Players were bundled up like Alaskan Eskimos as temperatures dropped into single digits. But these young and vivacious players didn’t seem to mind the bone-chilling cold and even shed layers of clothing as the night progressed.

The paddle play was both competitive and entertaining as each team played at least four matches. To keep it moving we played eight-game pro sets. In the end, we were able to raise over $200 to support Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization that builds houses for the less fortunate people living in our community. This money will be donated specifically to the Habitat for Humanity Chapter of Chester County.

(Gray Dinsel is the president and founder of the Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter at Unionville High School. He is a nationally ranked junior paddle player, coached at Radley Run for nearly six years by beloved Laurie Hissey, also a contributor to the event.)