A Wheaton pickleball tournament on Saturday, August 1, 2026, will raise money to put homeless families behind the wheel of a reliable car.

Bridge Communities, the four-star Charity Navigator-rated nonprofit that provides free transitional housing to more than 100 DuPage County families each year, is hosting its third annual Pickleball Tournament at Pickled! Wheaton, 288 E. Geneva Rd. The organization said on its event page that proceeds will fund vehicle purchases for families waiting to enter the Bridge program who need transportation to get to work and pick up their children.

The tournament runs in two sessions. An intermediate morning session begins with check-in at 7:30 a.m. and games from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. An advanced afternoon session checks in at noon with games from 1 to 4:30 p.m. The format encourages mixed doubles, and court space is limited.

Winners take home trophies and gift cards. Every participant receives a gift, and refreshments will be served.

A signature raffle offers a weekend at The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin, spa gifts from Kohler Waters Spa in Burr Ridge, and a round of golf at Medinah Country Club. Only 100 raffle tickets will be sold. Teams can register at onecau.se/pickled; raffle tickets are available separately through the Bridge Communities OneCause page.

Among the organization's 2025 graduating class, 91% secured permanent housing, 100% grew their savings, and 78% increased their income, according to figures on the Bridge Communities website.

Carmen, a program graduate's daughter, told the organization's spring luncheon audience what the support meant to her family. "They did not just support my mother; they protected our childhood," she said. "They created space for me and my siblings to keep being children while my mother was doing the hard work of building us a stronger future."

Upcoming community events

• Saturday, July 25 — Downtown Wheaton Foam Party with Chicago Foam Co., part of the Summer Sidewalk Sales weekend beginning Friday, July 24.
• Saturday, August 1 — Wheaton French Market (same morning as the pickleball tournament), 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Downtown Pavilion at Main and Liberty streets. The market runs every Saturday through October 31.
• Wednesday, August 12 — Wheaton Lions Club Annual Golf Outing, Cantigny Golf Club, Wheaton. Details at WheatonLions.org.