‘Pickleball for Porridge’ Marathon to support good cause

St. Stephen’s Parish will host the Pickleball for Porridge Marathon to support their chosen charity, Mary’s Meals’ school-feeding program in Malawi.

The event will take place at the St. Stephen Parish Community Center Gymnasium, located at 228 West St., from March 13 through March 18. Two-hour time slots on two pickleball courts will be offered each day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., allowing up to 432 players able to participate across the six days.

“We became re-inspired to share the good works of Mary’s Meals and to raise awareness and funds through the ever-popular game of pickleball, which is played daily in our parish gym,” said event co-chair Mary Juliano, business manager for St. Stephen the First Martyr.

The goal is to raise funds to support school feeding for 650 children at a primary school in Malawi where Mary’s Meals - an international school-feeding charity that provides meals to more than 2.4 million children every school day in 18 countries - feeds children so they can gain an education that can help break the cycle of poverty. This simple solution to world hunger – feeding children where they learn – helps to break the cycle of poverty by bringing children to school for a meal and to earn an education. It is supported worldwide through donations, fundraisers, events, and prayer.

Since 2014, St. Stephen’s Parish and the community have supported the mission of Mary’s Meals raising more than $131,000. Last year, the parish began sponsoring the Kabale Primary School in Malawi, where Mary’s Meals works with community volunteers to serve nutritious porridge to 650 children. Porridge - known in Malawi as phala - is a corn and soy blend that is fortified with essential vitamins and minerals providing a nourishing meal and energy to help children grow and learn.

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the country and played daily at the parish gym, so this marathon is eagerly anticipated. New, recreational and competitive players are encouraged to sign-up. Food and beverages will be available for purchase throughout the marathon and DJ Ryan will provide music Monday through Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.

“There’s been great enthusiasm for this event,” said event co-chair Lydia VanDuynhoven, director of religious education at St. Stephen the First Martyr.

In 2002, Malawi became Mary’s Meals first school-feeding program and remains the largest serving more than one million children. School meals are life changing for children in a country where 70% of the population lives below the international poverty line and 35% of children under the age 5 have stunted growth.

“Mary’s Meals as a provider of hope – in the life of one child and in the world more broadly – is more important than ever. And so are each of our actions in support of this mission; no matter how small they might feel to us, they are not small! They are truly enormous in the life of that child,” said Mary’s Meals founder and CEO, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow.

The event fee is $25.20 – the cost to feed a child for a school year – and sponsorships are available. To sign-up, log onto https://ststephenchurchwarwick.org/special-events or contact Mary Juliano at 845-325-4638 or email at mjuliano@ststephenchurchwarwick.org for more information.