A Glow in the Dark Pickleball Tournament will be held at the Williamsport Branch YMCA on Sunday, January 22 starting at 5:00 p.m.
This event will be a fundraiser for Vhito DeCapria, a brave eleven-year-old boy from Jersey Shore who has been battling cancer since he was three years old. After beating life threating cancer as a three-year-old he had been cancer free for seven years when DiCapria relapsed with a secondary cancer, Osteosarcoma, in August. Due to this relapse, DiCapria was admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). While there, he had a full arm amputation up to the shoulder three weeks ago to save his life. Vhito will have twenty more weeks of chemotherapy. Next month, he will start weekly Occupational Therapy to help him adjust to this new life. Vhito’s mother, Ashley DeCapria, is unable to work due to traveling for his treatment. All the proceeds from the fundraiser will go directly to Vhito and his family to help with his continuing medical care costs.
The Glow in the Dark Pickleball Tournament will be held in the darkened Williamsport Branch YMCA gym located at 641 Walnut Street. Blacklights will transform the gym into four glowing Pickleball courts. Players will be able to line their paddles with reflective tape, wear reflective clothing, and the balls will be shining as well.
Each person’s game scores will be logged and totaled at the end of tournament. Pickleball matches for beginners, intermediates and advanced classes of players will be scheduled separately throughout the night and players will randomly partner within each class in each set. First, second and third place winners will receive a prize.
To register to play in the tournament, go to: https://victory-for-vhito-pickleball.sportngin.com/register/form/430672295?fbclid=IwAR0dEha0eBVE2p8t5lSp0jthZ48tZK-mrhaWF3PwxyrQZUAvaRtcNHZFVnw
The cost for registration is $35 online with a t-shirt provided. Participants can also pay $40 at the door.
All are welcome to join. Anyone who would like to attend but does not want to play does not need to register. Donations will also be accepted to help defray Vhito’s medical expenses.
Other activities planned during the fundraiser are music, raffle baskets, wine raffle and the Real Taste food truck will be on site.
You can follow Vhito’s progress on his Facebook page: Victory For Vhito.
There is also a GoFundMe Site to help with treatments and bills: https://www.gofundme.com/f/vhito-strong?qid=21fca2a9dfd8506c34a6acd2732f79e8&fbclid=IwAR14TgjE-3lyqbTCHTCo0x5nbXPt13gfoFKqOejWDb-7Y4Dceuou1tMTf_4
It is not possible to have more fun exercising than by playing Pickleball! Oh wait, unless you are playing Glow in the Dark Pickleball at the Victory for Vhito Fundraiser!
