Mary Mac Foundation pickleball tournament raises thousands

(Aug. 10, 2020) The inaugural “Mary Mac Foundation Pickleball Beach Fest," held Saturday in Ocean Pines, raised $6,000 for programs benefiting local children and other charitable causes. 

Organizers Daryl and Cathy Noble, and Frank Kramer, came up with the idea to help the Mary Mac Foundation after the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser, an annual golf tournament, was canceled because of concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The Mary Mac Foundation each year raises money for local and regional youth programs to honor Mary McMullen (1948-2012), a special education instructor at Severna Park High School and Ruth Eason School in Millersville, Maryland. During the 1970s, she also helped establish the Ocean Pines Recreation and Parks Department. 

Programs supported by the foundation include Camp Barnes, a residential camp in Frankford, Delaware for low-income children, and Camp St. Vincent de Paul in Baltimore, an organization offering eight-week summer camps for homeless children. The foundation also supports summer youth recreation programs in Ocean Pines. 

Tim McMullen, who cofounded the Mary Mac Foundation to honor his late wife, said the tournament was a big success.  

“It far exceeded my expectations. I was hoping that we could pick up $3,000, which would be 100 players at $30 a piece,” he said.  

McMullen said two things happened to help that total balloon far above expectations. First, tournament sponsors contributed $2,000. Second, platform tennis members added an extra donation.  

“I was getting ready to leave on Saturday and the platform tennis people called me over. They had held their own get together and raised $900,” he said. “So, I think it’s another statement about our community. This place is unique and the support we got from pickleball and platform tennis was just unbelievable, and especially from Daryl, Cathy, and Frank Kramer.” 

McMullen said he, his brother Don and their sister Susan Wojciechowski were all humbled by the community support that has included many calls, texts and individual donations since news broke in June that the golf tournament was canceled.  

He said triumph over adversity was the inspiration for starting the Mary Mac Foundation, and it was only fitting to see so much kindness during a year when so many are coping with hardships related to the pandemic.  

“When Mary was told she had a terminal disease in 2010, she was an extremely spiritual person and said, ‘OK, we’ve got to go ahead and make the best of this.’ And she did an unbelievable job preparing my three children, myself and my family for what she had to go through,” he said. 

“I think that that has to be our attitude for this entire year. To be surrounded by this community that’s responded that way during a very difficult time means the foundation will survive 2020, and we’ll actually come out of this stronger,” McMullen added. 

He said funds raised this year would again support Camp Barnes and summer youth recreation programs in Ocean Pines. Additional funds will go to Diakonia in West Ocean City, a nonprofit that provides emergency housing, emergency food assistance, homelessness prevention, housing assistance, veteran services, and case management for local people in need. 

The Mary Mac Foundation and tournament organizers wish to thank corporate sponsors including Kim and Bonnie Hardt of Action Island, Bob Saunders of American Financial, Tom Terry of Choptank Electric Cooperative, Linda Dearing of Copy Central, Nick and Dave from Food Lion, Don Boger of Home Instead Senior Care and from Seacrets, Julie Woulfe of Shamrock Realty, and Charlie Gale Masonry. 

The foundation and organizers also wish to thank Ocean Pines Association President Doug Parks, General Manager John Viola, Recreation and Parks Director Debbie Donahue, and Director of Amenities and Operational Logistics Colby Phillips, as well as Susan Morris of the Ocean Pines Ladies Golf Association, Don McMullen of the Ocean Pines Men's Golf Association, Cathy Noble from Ocean Pines Pickleball, Vin Morris, Mike Petito and Karen Kaplan from Ocean Pines Platform Tennis, Dale Ash and John McNult from Ocean Pines Tennis, and Matt Ortt from the Venues at Ocean Pines. 

Donations to the Mary Mac Foundation may be made online by visiting www.marymac.org. Checks may be made payable to: Mary Mac Foundation, 174 Nottingham Lane, Berlin, Maryland 21811.