CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The third annual Charlottesville Cup pickleball tournament has moved locations and expanded its divisions this year, making the May 1-3 event better positioned to raise money for Foothills Children’s Advocacy Center.

In addition to the men’s and women’s doubles Saturday and mixed doubles Sunday that have always been a part of the event, this year, the Cup will include a juniors division that will play on Friday, a singles competition on Friday and a wheelchair division on Sunday.

Saturday evening, there will also be an exhibition match featuring some of Virginia’s top players. All divisions will play at Cville Smash, the city’s new indoor pickleball facility.

“The goal is just to have fun to, learn how to play competitive pickleball and also support a great cause with foothills,” tournament organizer and Foothills Board President Mark Mendelsohn told Cville Right Now.

This year’s event will be held at Cville Smash, the city’s new indoor pickleball facility that opened in September.

The Cup officially started three years ago. It drew over 200 players in each of its first two editions and this year’s event could be even larger. Mendelsohn said, after raising about $20,000 the first year and $24,000 in Year 2, he’s hoping the 2026 installment could net over $28,000.

Over those years, it has attracted players from all over Virginia, including Richmond, Roanoke, and Harrisonburg.

Registration for this year’s expanded event opened in January and closes April 26.

Moving to indoors to Cville Smash will make the event easier to run logistically, Mendelsohn said, require fewer volunteers and also protect it in case of inclement weather.

Cville Smash has nine dedicated indoor pickleball courts, along with a kitchen, pro shop, workout space and social areas.

“Hosting the Cville Cup is about more than just competition—it’s about community,” co-owner Colleen Shearer told Cville Right Now. “We’re incredibly proud to support Foothills Children’s Advocacy Center and the vital work they do for children and families. Any time we can use our facility to help strengthen our community, especially for a cause like this, we consider it an honor.”

The money the Cup raises benefits Foothills, which works with child victims of physical and sexual abuse over nine jurisdictions in the region.

“Foothills is 20 years old this year, and it serves as a coordination center, really is the best way to describe, it for children who’ve been sexually or physically abused,” Mendelsohn said. “They’re referred by law enforcement or child protective services.”

Foothills offers forensic interviews, conducted by specially trained interviewers. These can be used by police and are admissible in court.

“It allows a child to tell their story in a safe place. It minimizes the number of interviews this child then has to go through. … We’re an absolute important part of the investigation process for children who’ve had to go through this trauma.”

Foothills also has a multi-disciplinary team which brings together law enforcement, Commonwealth attorneys and mental health professionals from around the area to meet with Foothills staff to review cases and other issues.

Foothills also offers medical services as well as support for families and caregivers of victims.

Mendelsohn said one of the things the organization, which gets some state funding, is raising money for is to have in-house mental health professionals.

In August, Foothills moved into a new larger shared space with SARA, Sexual Assault Resource Agency.

The Cup is one of two major fundraisers that benefit Foothills each year. The other is Mustaches for Kids, where supporters get donations for growing mustaches. That joint event with Piedmont CASA raised over $80,000 last year, he said.