Tour players help make Austin beautiful

The PPA Tour is always looking for ways to help improve its carbon footprint in each city it plays, so when the tour stopped in Austin, Texas, this week, it only made sense that players Julian Arnold, Lina Padegimaite and Lauren Stratman would be involved.

The three all live and train out of Austin, all three are playing this week and all three helped with a service project as members of the tour and others worked with tour sustainability partner Veolia to help clean up along Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin.

“I am really excited about the partnership with Veolia and the PPA tour,” said Padegimaite, who played college tennis at the University of Texas and has lived in Austin since 2011. “It’s nice to step outside of the pickleball courts and give back to our community and continue fostering a positive impact on our future generations. 

“Also, I had a great time picking up trash with Lauren and Julian. It makes me reflect on bigger things in life outside of pickleball.”

The dinks and drops are important, but the PPA is also concerned about the continuation of service projects throughout its tour season. Sometimes it’s cleaning up trash, other times it’s community outreach and more.

“Veolia is an integral partner of the tour, and we are always having conversations on how to improve our carbon footprint in every city we hold our events in,” said PPA Tour Director of Partnerships, Ellie Wright. “We are hoping to do more community clean-ups, kids clinics and education, and more.”

And in addition to Austin being the home to so many PPA Tour pros, as well as being a hotbed for recreational play, it’s a scenic city with a lot to offer. Might as well make it look a little better.

“I volunteered because it was a great opportunity to enjoy the nature Austin has to offer while making a positive impact on the environment and helping the lake stay beautiful and clean,” Stratman said. “It was an enjoyable experience to step outside the pickleball court and be able to volunteer our time for a good cause. I actually had a lot of fun doing the clean-up.”