JERSEYVILLE - The Jerseyville Police Department’s T.E.E.N.S. Program is hosting a two-day pickleball tournament fundraiser coming up on Saturday, Sept. 23 and Sunday, Sept. 24 at Lions Club/Wittman Park.
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Officer Seth Tefertiller with the Jerseyville Police Department appeared on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the pickleball fundraiser and more about the T.E.E.N.S program.
The pickleball tournament is open to all ages, but Officer Tefertiller said those ages 16 and under must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. The event kicks off at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23 with women's doubles, followed by men's doubles at 12 p.m. Mixed doubles will be played on Sunday, Sept. 24 starting at 9:30 a.m.
There are already seven women’s teams signed up for Saturday, and 17 teams signed up for the mixed doubles on Sunday, Officer Tefertiller said. Team registration is $70 ($35 per player), or $10 individually. Registration is open until this Friday - those interested can sign up at this link.
“The big thing is, it’s a fun, family friendly event,” Officer Tefertiller said. “We’re not like some other tournaments that are super hardcore - it’s about coming up, having a good time, getting to know other people playing the sport.”
This year’s pickleball tournament is just one of many events made possible by the department’s T.E.E.N.S. program. The group also organizes everything from Movie Days at the Stadium Theater to scholarship funds for local students.
Officer Tefertiller said T.E.E.N.S. stands for Teaching, Empowering, Encouraging, Navigating Situations, and is an expanded version of the former D.A.R.E. program which aims to “build better adults through our program,” he said.
He said the T.E.E.N.S. program is flexible and offers community leaders the ability to choose the topics, with Tefertiller finding the material from peer-reviewed articles and government publications.
The full interview with Officer Tefertiller can be watched at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
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