GREEN BAY (WLUK) — Suicide prevention and mental health awareness begins early in the De Pere School districts. And if you play pickleball, you can help support those efforts. School social workers Melanie Brick and Heather Propson appeared on Good Day Wisconsin with details on the first Paddles for Prevention event. The pickleball tournament is taking place February 7th and 8th at the Four Seasons Tennis Club in Allouez. Slots are still available. You can register here.
Proceeds from the event will help benefit two organizations in De Pere: Hope Squad and Hands Across De Pere.
Paddles for Prevention pickleball fundraiser to support De Pere youth mental health, January 30, 2026. (WLUK)
“Hope Squad is a peer to peer suicide prevention and mental health awareness program,” says Brick. “We train students to be the eyes and ears and to watch out for peers who may be struggling, to provide a listening ear, and to get them to an adult who can help.” Brick says they have trained more than 300 kids across De Pere to serve as Hope Squad members and to help save lives.
Hands Across De Pere is a joint initiative between the West De Pere School District and the Unified School District of De Pere. Propson says donated funds are used to meet basic needs including food, clothing, winter gear, gas cards, hygiene products, school fees, and extracurricular fees. She says they are able to offer assistance with larger items that allow families to get ahead in life, such as help with the down payment on an apartment, a medical bill, or car repairs.
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If you have questions about the pickleball tournament, contact Quinn at qthompson80@gmail.com