PPA Tour players volunteer at Cary community garden
CARY, N.C (WTVD) -- Professional pickleball players took some time away from the courts Wednesday to give back to the Cary community.
Players from the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association Tour joined Veolia staff and Town of Cary employees at Carpenter Park.
The group toured the Carpenter Community Garden before helping remove invasive plants from the pollinator garden and planting herbs that will later be donated to a local food bank.
"When Cary hosts a major event, we want the benefits to extend beyond the venue," said Cary Assistant Town Manager Stacey Teachey. "This project shows how a partnership built around championship sports can also support the places and people that make Cary a strong community."
The Carpenter Community Garden has about 50 garden plot renters each year. The green space also includes a pollinator garden, native food forest, pond and prairie area.
Veolia is the PPA Tour's official sustainability partner and sponsors six tournaments each year.
"One of the goals of our partnership with the PPA Tour is to leave a positive environmental legacy in every host community," said Carrie Griffiths, chief communications officer of Veolia North America.
Professional players also joined the volunteer effort.
"We spend so much of tournament week focused on the competition, so it was great to get outside the courts and spend some time learning about and giving back to the community that's hosting us," said Jeff Watson, senior vice president of communications and marketing for the Carvana PPA Tour.
The 2026 Veolia Pickleball National Championships are being held Aug. 31 through Sept. 6 at Cary Tennis Park.
The tournament is the first PPA Tour event in North Carolina to receive the "Slam" designation, which comes with more prize money and ranking points for players.
The tournament also kicks off the Carvana PPA Tour's 2026-27 global season.
