Every weekday, numerous Montgomery Township residents flock to the 6 brand-new pickleball courts outside the Lower/Upper Middle School to play our beloved sport after 9-5 work (or university lecture) hours. We find great joy in staying active and relieving our stress with competitive, banter-filled matches against our friends, neighbors, colleagues, and any fellow pickleball lovers. The amount of goodwill that we derive from our daily post-work games cannot be understated; many of us believe them to the highlights of our day. Suffice it to say, we would be markedly unhappier if we lost the ability to play these daily games.

Exactly 3 months have passed since the ribbon-cutting ceremony for these new courts on July 15, 2024. 3 months of excellent games and happy times- but unfortunately, Winter is coming. As the daylight hours wane with each passing day, the total lack of floodlights at the courts hinders the ability and will of avid Montgomery picklers to have fulfilling games right after work. Every day, our matches are cut shorter and shorter; every day, we are left wanting for a little bit more action and intensity before we head home. In the foreseeable future, it will become dark by 5 PM every day, and we will not be able to play at all.

If we fail to act, very soon we will not be able to continue this beloved community activity on a daily basis. We should not idly forfeit the ability to play our favorite sport with people we care about for 4-5 months of the year, simply due to the fact that the facility lacks an (relatively easily) installable feature. 

I have already begun the first steps in the process of requesting the Montgomery Township Parks & Recreation Department (and potentially the Board of Education) to move forward with this installation: On Tuesday, October 22 @ 7:00 PM @ the Otto Kaufman Community Center (356 Skillman Road, Skillman, NJ), the Parks & Rec Dept will discuss this proposal at their meeting. At that meeting, I will present this petition as proof of substantial (even overwhelming) community interest in the installation of floodlights at the LMS/UMS pickleball courts. All that I request from you, the passionate picklers of Montgomery, is to sign this petition and ensure that any interested party does so as well. Together, we can do it!