Pickleball Marathon Raises Funds for Middle School Teacher with Broken Neck

A 24-hour pickleball marathon is being held this weekend in Savage to raise money to help a middle school teacher recover from a broken neck. Mark Hunter, who teaches autistic children at Twin Oaks Middle School, broke his neck in two places during a snorkeling excursion in Hawaii last October. After surgery in Hawaii and Chicago, he started rehabilitation with the help of medical staff playing pickleball.

Hunter's nerves have not fully recovered, and he experiences nerve-burning pain, but doctors believe he will eventually function as he did before the accident.

Despite rainy weather and temperatures in the forties, pickleball players in Prior Lake and Savage decided to team up and play 24 hours straight, rain or shine, to raise money for Hunter. Organizer Tom Leveille said they played in worse conditions, such as winter games played in temperatures as low as -10.

So far, they’ve raised about $6,000 to help with Hunter’s medical bills. Despite significant nerve damage, Hunter hopes to be back in the game by the end of this summer.

Hunter is grateful for the help he has received, and he has become more affectionate in expressing his gratitude. "I’m not a super hug person but in the last like month I’ve given more hugs and it’s great," he said. Leveille added, "I’m not a hugger either and he hugged me today, so obviously he’s very thankful."

https://www.fox9.com/news/savage-pickleball-marathon-benefits-teacher-with-broken-neck