Words by Donald Padgett
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and a recent donation of brand-new gear and accessories to DAP Health’s Revivals resale stores promises to make a lasting impact both on and off the court.
The gift includes over 400 paddles along with enough clothing and accessories to seriously equip the local pickleball community while also helping Revivals and DAP Health meet the area’s unique health care needs. The suggested retail price for each paddle alone ranges from $50 to $190, making the estimated total value of the donation (which represents 1,990 individual pieces) almost $70,000.
This contribution was the brainchild of Ralph Gorgoglione, a successful real estate agent and philanthropist who is also an elite-level tennis and pickleball instructor. He founded Maui-G Sports out of his love for pickleball and frustration with the lack of a one-stop shop for affordable gear on the Hawaiian island he called home at the time.
“There really was no place on the island that had full service for racket sports, where you can go try on lots of different shoes to choose from, get your gear, racket strings, your paddles, accessories, and stuff like that,” he says. “But I wanted to do it affordably.”
Gorgoglione, who once owned a second home in the Coachella Valley, says he was an admirer of DAP Health’s mission and that the donation to Revivals was targeted to meet needs on multiple levels.
“I thought, ‘Wow, OK, so there is a really good, growing presence for pickleball within the LGBT community in the desert,’” he says of the motivation behind his donation of rackets, grips, bags, clothing, and other pickleball gear — all still in the original manufacturer’s packaging. “And so that’s why I thought, ‘OK, I want to do something here.’”
So, rather than liquidating the gear following the closure of the Maui-G Sports storefronts, Gorgoglione opted to help Revivals and the growing pickleball community in the Coachella Valley. “I thought if I had these products in the hands of Revivals, that it would be easy for them to sell,” he recalls, adding that “based on the dollar amount of what the going rates are for paddles and accessories, I thought they could do pretty well.”
Michael McCartney, Revival’s director of retail operations, says the assortment will make a difference. “At Revivals, we are continually humbled and inspired by the generosity of all our donors,” McCartney says. “Every contribution, large or small, plays a vital role in helping us fulfill our mission — to support the health care needs of the community we serve through the work of DAP Health.”
McCartney says Revivals usually receives donations of fashionable pre-owned clothing, housewares, and furniture, and that the team was excited about the donation from Maui-G Sports. “Gifts like these not only help diversify our offerings but also energize our stores and keep customers coming back,” he says. “The enthusiasm and support we receive from donors like Maui-G Sports are a big part of what makes Revivals more than just a thrift store — it makes us a community hub.”
That type of response is one of the reasons Gorgoglione sought out Revivals, where the community benefits directly from the donation. “My hope is that if there are people in the LGBT community — for whatever reasons — whose funds for medical help, drugs, or anything of that sort have been lessened or curtailed, that some of the funds from the retail sales of the pickleball gear would help toward that,” he says.
The wide range of items donated by Gorgoglione and Maui-G Sports are available for purchase at great savings to customers at all four of DAP Health’s Revivals stores — in Indio, Palm Desert, Cathedral City, and Palm Springs — all just in time for the holiday season.
Pickleball Classes Available in Palm Springs
