MARBLEHEAD — The Friends of Marblehead Basktball and Marblehead Pickleball hosted the Move 4 Heather Pickleball Tournament at the Veterans Middle School.
The event was held in honor of Heather Walker, who was diagnosed with Glioblastoma in July 2021.
Upon her diagnosis, Walker started the Heather Walker Fund for Glioblastoma Research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Lauren Andriano, of Friends of Marblehead Basketball, said Move 4 Heather, which was formed by Walker and her doctor, Dr. David Reardon, is all about all about doing something that moves you.
“It could be something small like… trying a new food or it could be something really big… trying something off your bucket list,” Andriano said.
Before her death in April 2023, Walker raised more than $700,000 through Move 4 Heather.
Andriano said Walker’s goal for raising funds was $1,000,000.
“There are a number of us in town that… want to honor her memory and her see this goal through,” she said.
Andriano said she and Lisa Spinale, of Marblehead Pickleball, were inspired by Walker’s involvement with the Boston Celtics, where she was the team’s senior vice president of public relations, and decided to collaborate to help continue to raise funds.
“How cool would this be if we did a tournament?” Andriano said. “We could honor Heather’s memory, we can raise funds and we can just… keep her memory alive and, and keep that idea of Move 4 Heather going.”
Andriano said her husband, Anthony Andriano had reached out to Walker’s husband, Stephen Walker, who was able to get in touch with the Boston Cetlics for one of the silent auction items, an autographed Jaylen Brown jersey.
Andriano said there is a large contingent of pickleball players in town.
“So, you’ve got people that just love to go out and play and then… they’re like, ‘Oh, this is even better. I’m playing and it’s for this awesome cause,’” she said.
Spinale said pickleball is likely the most attended sport per day in town. “It’s a good workout. It’s a cheerful way to interact with others…the people in this have have embraced it.”
The event additionally had guests such as Mike the Paddle Doc, a pickleball player and certified coach who sells pickleball accoutrement such as edge guards, grips and weights, and author Erin McHugh, whose 30 books include one which is pickleball related, “Pickleball is Life: The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Obsession.”
Andriano said 100% of donations to the Heather Walker Fund for Glioblastoma go towards finding a cure and patient care.
Spinale thanked the Recreation and Parks Comission and its five commissioners for their help in organizing the tournament.
