National Honor Society students organize pickleball tourney for a cause

Warwick Valley High School students Mira Costa and Molly Duffy turned their love of pickleball into a community service project — organizing a benefit tournament as part of their National Honor (NHS) Society Pillar Project!

Mira and Molly took on the NHS core challenge to live out the organization's four core pillars — scholarship, service, leadership, and character — putting those values into practice for the direct benefit of local families experiencing food insecurity. On March 27, the two friends signed up about 50 teams to complete and marked off the boundaries for 10 courts on the high school gym floor.

The duo was grateful for (and a little shocked by) the overwhelming and enthusiastic response. The teams played quickly through six rounds of competition, and the orgaznizers kept the brackets moving efficiently from start to finish. The championship match came down to Denis McAteer and Lucas Miller verusus Erin Kelly and Reagan Smith. Denis and Lucas ultimately claimed the title with a decisive 9-3 victory. 

By the end of the tournament, participants had donated more than 150 cans of food, a meaningful contribution to a food bank that depends on community support to serve local families in need. For Mira and Molly, while the tournament was ultimately about helping others, it was also a great opportunity to bring their classmates together around something fun while making a real difference close to home.

Great job, everyone!