Edwin Gerace is passionate about pickleball. As a U.S. pickleball ambassador, he’s made it his mission to spread the game and get as many people involved as possible. 

To achieve that goal, Gerace is helping bring adaptive pickleball to the area for the first time this Sunday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the brand-new Cayce Pickleball Complex. The event’s purpose is to give people with special needs and physical challenges a chance to play the game in an open and welcoming environment. 

“I think we just have a duty or a responsibility to the community to let everybody have the ability to play,” Gerace said. “The sport itself is multi-generational. I mean, you play with 70-year-olds, you play with 16-year-olds. It gives the opportunity for parents to play with their children.” 

Adaptive pickleball has become a staple in the Greenville area. It was founded by Sandy Halkett in 2020 to enhance the lives of those with diverse abilities. 

The group went from hosting a few scheduled activities a year to multiple events a month. 

Gerace had set out to find a way to make pickleball more accessible after hearing from the  South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association. From there, he learned more about Halkett’s organization and became inspired. 

“ I started finding out more about what Sandy's doing in Greenville, I'm like, they're my idols,” Gerace said. “If we could pull that off, we'd do well.” 

Now, Gerace and Halkett have partnered up to bring Lexington County its first adaptive pickleball session. Gerace made sure to emphasize this is not a competitive event but a day of fun and relaxation. 

“ Let's let these kids have fun. Let's provide a unique experience, exercise and have a good time,” he said. “It’s not a competitive match kind of environment.” 

Participants will get to play the game in a low-stakes environment while forming new bonds, exercising and hopefully learning something along the way. 

“ Pickleball is the game of patience, and so, your goal is to try to instill that,” Gerace said. “ It'll be a great way to do some exercise and get outside to be able to build relationships.”

Gerace said he hopes to see the community rally around an event like this. Many members of the Lexington pickleball community have already reached out expressing interest in helping with this and future adaptive pickleball events. 

The county itself has also shown a commitment to the sport. The Cayce Pickleball Complex is one of many pickleball facilities to open in the area in the past few years. 

“ Lexington's put in a good amount of commitment to courts,” Gerace said. “The growth of the sport is there.”

If all goes to plan, Sunday’s adaptive pickleball event will not be the last. Gerace has dreams of expanding the event to the entire Columbia metro area. He wants multiple sessions a month, run by different community leaders, giving people from all walks of life a chance to play pickleball. 

From the veteran community to the special needs community, Gerace believes everyone should have a chance to learn the game of pickleball. 

“ I'd love to get it to grow as big or bigger than Greenville,” Gerace said. “ I think it could just because there's so many churches and community centers that have temporary pickleball courts already.” 

While growth is on his mind, Gerace also knows it can’t be a rushed process.

“ I want to grow it and we get it done right,” he said. “Let's make sure we don't take on too much that we can’t manage.”

Anyone interested in participating in Sunday’s event can reach out to Gerace or Halkett. Coaches and volunteers can reach out to Gerace via email at edwin@giraffemarketinglic.com. To register a player, contact Halkett at AdaptivePickleball@gmail.com. Registration is free.