Pick-EL Ball Tournament set for December

The 2nd annual event hosted by Link Pickleball benefits Mental Health America Lakeshore

KOHLER — The 2nd Annual Pick-El Ball Tournament and Fundraiser honors the late Elli Zahn Westfall.

Hosted by her friends and family, the pickleball tournament and community event is dedicated to raising mental health awareness and supporting suicide prevention. The 2025 Pick-El Ball Tournament set for Saturday, December 6th from 8:30 AM to 4 PM at Sports Core in Kohler is sponsored by Link Pickleball. Westfall lost her battle with depression 11 years ago in November 2014.

“Through celebrating Elli’s life, we hope to bring hope, healing, and a commitment to mental wellness that will resonate across Sheboygan and beyond,” said Lilly Schroeder, Channel Marketing Manager for Kohler Co. and owner of Link Pickleball. “This event aims to spark conversations about mental wellness, reduce stigma, and raise funds for Mental Health America (MHA) Lakeshore.”

Proceeds from this event will support MHA Lakeshore’s local mental health programs and resources, suicide awareness training, and K-12 resilient school programs for youth.

Both locally and nationwide, we are experiencing a mental health epidemic across all ages. In fact, mental health ranked as a top health issue for the past two community health survey cycles in Sheboygan County. We are seeing rising rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidality in the county and nationwide. In 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10-24.

“There is a critical need for MHA Lakeshore’s preventative and early intervention programs, referral services and advocacy in our community,” said Julie Preder, MHA Lakeshore executive director. “We are thankful Link Pickleball has chosen us to be their partner for this event and as a non-profit partner year-round.”

To register online, visit mhalakeshore.org.

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