Friends of Marblehead Basketball and Marblehead Pickleball organized a pickleball-tournament fundraiser to benefit the Heather Walker Fund.
The Heather Walker Fund, also known as Move4Heather, is an organization that was formed to honor Walker, who died from glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer.
The proceeds from the tournament will go toward glioblastoma research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
The tournament will take place on Sept. 28 and 29 at the Veterans School. Registration costs $60 a day for each participant and will benefit the Walker Fund. There is a guarantee of 90 minutes of play time and a shirt, and winners will be given medals.
In July of 2021, Walker, then the senior vice president of public relations for the Boston Celtics, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.
According to Laura Andriano and Lisa Spinale, who organized this event, Walker was a fun-loving, free-spirted wife and mom of two young daughters.
When she was diagnosed, Walker “immediately thought of how she could help others and started the Heather Walker Fund for Glioblastoma Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, managed by her neuro-oncologist, Dr. David Reardon,” according to the event’s sign-up. “Heather sadly lost her battle with glioblastoma on April 26, 2023. In memory of Heather, we’re asking her beloved community to continue the momentum with Move 4 Heather (#m4h).”
Andriano said the fund has raised more than $700,000 for research and Walker’s goal was to reach $1 million. Spinale said she hopes this tournament will raise $20,000 for research.
Spinale said they decided to play pickleball because it is an accessible sport for all.
Andriano and Spinale said putting the fundraiser together has been a “labor of love.” She said the help from the Recreation and Parks Department has been instrumental in organizing the event.