Pickleball Tournament Raised Money and Awareness for Breast Cancer

Midwestern University students in the Endodontics & Periodontal Club CDMI (College of Dental Medicine-Illinois) and the CDMI Wilderness Club hosted the inaugural Halloween-themed Pickle-O-Treat pickleball tournament. Proceeds went to The Pink Agenda, a nonprofit organization that promotes awareness about breast cancer and raises funds for research and healthcare.

Dental student and vice president of the Endodontics & Periodontal Club Valeria Estrella (CDMI ’25) said, “The overall experience was a first-time event, and we started from scratch and planned it from the ground up. We anticipated a few teams participating. My role was to help set it up. We knew we wanted to have the pickleball tournament in October, and we thought it’s important to bring more awareness for breast cancer. We tied it back to doing something for the community and for an organization like the Pink Agenda. It’s about connecting to the community and showing empathy toward these groups.”

Valeria said their turnout was great and about $200 was raised for the cause. Several Midwestern University students were able to raise money for a cause, meet each other, and destress with a game of pickleball. Team Sweats comprised of dental students Mohammed Bazzi (CDMI ’25) and Ethan Lu (CDMI ’27) won the pickleball tournament. Dental students MV Sansone (CDMI ’25) and Brandon Silvestri (CDMI ’25) won best costume.

The event was also open to all healthcare students. Valeria said, “I think it’s important to participate in this type of activity. There’s an overall common goal to connect with organizations outside of CDMI and do something good for community members and come together. Ultimately, we want to do the best we can for people. What better way to do that outside the clinic than giving back through charity events? It is serving the community in a different way. You would think all the dentist can offer is dental screenings or checkups related to oral health, but this event makes it more of a multidisciplinary approach too, touching on different areas of healthcare.” Valeria also emphasized the overall importance of student participation in clubs and organizations on campus. “It’s important you branch out, do events like this one where we collaborate with different groups and people from different healthcare fields. You meet people you might not have met. You get exposure to something outside the academic setting and branch out.”

Midwestern University encourages student participation in clubs and organizations as preparation and opportunities for their future healthcare careers and interdepartmental collaboration. A variety of clubs and organizations are available at the Downers Grove and Glendale campuses.