Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Jan. 7, 2025 – Jonesboro firefighters will be raising money for Camp Sunshine, a camp for young burn survivors, with the help of a pickleball tournament.

Jonesboro Firefighters Local 3718 will host the 2025 Jonesboro Firefighters Pickleball Tournament on Feb. 1-2 at the Trim Gym, located at 1916 Race St. in Jonesboro.

This is the first time the firefighter union is hosting the event, which will feature Men’s and Women’s Doubles on Feb. 1 and Mixed Doubles on Feb. 2 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., or until all brackets are completed each day.

Camp Sunshine is a pediatric burn survivor camp held every year in August at Camp Alders Gate in Little Rock. The camp is four days long, with campers ranging from ages 4 to 17. It is completely free to campers. Several firefighters, nurses and other healthcare professionals volunteer as counselors and staff members.

“They can forget about their injuries and have fun with peers who have undergone a similar journey,” said fire Cpt. Brittany Milligan, noting that many campers have burns covering between 10-85% of their bodies.

JFD Cpt. Brittany Milligan (right, wearing a gray shirt, red lanyard and glasses), as well as campers and volunteers stand on one leg. (Photo courtesy of Brittany Milligan)

While people from all over the state go to help, Milligan said the camp has had a lot of volunteers from Jonesboro over the years, with Jonesboro having one of the highest rates of involvement of firefighters who volunteer. Milligan has volunteered for the last seven years.

Milligan also noted that the children are paired up with one or more counselors specific to that child so that they have a dedicated person for whatever they need or want. Plus, the camp provides any medical care campers may still need during their stay.

JFD member Dustin Bellers came up with the idea for the tournament to raise money for the camp. The Arkansas Professional Fire Fighters Association funds the camp.

“All of our proceeds are going to be donated to Camp Sunshine,” Bellers said. “It costs about $50,000 a year to operate camp but is always provided at no cost to the children who attend. That’s including everything they need while we’re there, as well as renting the camp and gate activities that are done. It’s fully funded by donations.”

Donations primarily come from fire department unions across the state, with the group that donates the most winning a traveling trophy. Bellers said the Little Rock Fire Department’s union typically wins because it has the most members. However, last year, Jonesboro Firefighters Local 3718 came within $2,500 of winning the trophy.

Last year, Jonesboro Firefighters Local 3718 donated $18,500, with most of the money coming from employee payroll deductions. Employees choose how much they want withheld from their paychecks.

Bellers added that the tournament would give the union an “extra boost” to take home the trophy, all while helping a cause near and dear to its members.

“We need to be out in public and be able to help everyone. This is a great opportunity for kids that were in a situation that was it’s terrible for them. It’s a way to make them feel normal, at least for a little bit and not feel judged. If we can help in any way, that’s what matters,” Bellers said.

Jonesboro Fire Department member Logan Wood carries a camper on his back. (Photo courtesy of Brittany Milligan)

Although Bellers said that he knew they could make some money doing a tournament, planning for this event was a learning experience as it was his first time to plan an event like this.

“I just had an idea and talked about it. A lot of guys really liked it and then it just kind of snowballed,” he laughed, noting the help they had received from others wanting to support their cause, such as Lynette Hirsch, Community Engagement & Marketing Coordinator for the City of Jonesboro.

“This is a lot bigger deal than I thought it was going to be,” he said. “There’s a lot that goes into it that I’ve learned. I’ve never put on any kind of tournament. So, it’s all the stuff you got to think about.”

Some of those things he noted were creating a registration website, getting sponsors and how to set up a tournament and divide participants into divisions.

Although the final registration deadline to play in the tournament is Jan. 24, those who register by Friday, Jan. 10, will be guaranteed an event T-shirt. Registration is $60 per person. Lunch will be provided, as well as snacks throughout the day. Participants can register here.

A camper participating in one of the camp’s activities. (Photo courtesy of Brittany Milligan)

With the help of Chris Rich, whom Bellers calls a pickleball pro at the Trim Gym, he set up a tournament and divided participants into divisions.

There are three divisions divided into four brackets, for a total of 12 different brackets complete with trophies for the winners. Players of similar DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) scores, which denotes a player’s skill level based on match results, are placed into the different divisions.

While Bellers said the tournament already has some sponsors, it still needs more. Sponsorships range from the following:

  • $100 donation for a mention on the website and Facebook.
  • $250 donation for a company logo on banner.
  • $500 donation for a court end sponsor.
  • $1,000 donation for court sponsor, mention in media advertisements and one free team entry into the tournament.

To donate to the cause, the JFD is accepting donations via Cash App at $JFF3718, and it will also be selling T-shirts at the tournament.

This event will also be live-streamed. More information about the livestream will be posted on social media as details are available.

For more information contact Bellers at 870-219-1615 or Chris Nugent at 870-761-9124.