Ottawa Pickleball Classic: Hockey icons Chris Phillips, Daniel Alfredsson face off for Heart Institute

The second annual Ottawa Pickleball Classic for the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation witnessed an exciting showdown yesterday between two retired Ottawa Senators legends — Chris Phillips and Daniel Alfredsson.

Phillips had agreed to participate in a celebrity match against CTV News Ottawa’s Graham Richardson and Patricia Boal. He needed a partner, of course. Raffle tickets were sold in advance for the chance to team up with Phillips for the match.

Concordia University student Jack Firestone, 19, couldn’t hide his excitement when his number was drawn from a bucket filled with purchased raffle tickets. “I’m a big Sens fan,” he later told OBJ.social. “I looked up to these guys when I was growing up.”

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The Phillips/Firestone duo beat the television news anchors, no problem. More daunting was their match against Alfredsson, who was the returning Ottawa Pickleball Classic champ.

Alfredsson found himself partnered with Lynsey Bennett, the lucky recipient of the second raffle ticket plucked from the bucket. They won. “I couldn’t have picked a better partner,” Bennett, vice president of business initiatives and marketing at The Bennett Property Shop Realty, told OBJ.social afterward. 

While the celebrity match was a highlight of the pickleball tournament, the entire afternoon was a tremendous success. The tournament drew 150 participants and raised $52,075, which was a big jump up from last year’s $30,000. The room buzzed with energy and music, with many players arriving extra early to practise.  

New this year was presenting sponsor CHG Meridian, a German-based company that provides financial solutions for lifesaving healthcare equipment. It has sponsored Heart Institute fundraisers in the past, specifically the foundation’s Oktoberfest and golf tournament.

The Ottawa Pickleball Classic was created by two UOHI Foundation board members: Colin Zappia, broker and realtor at Sutton Group Ottawa Realty, and Jake Levinson, vice president at Levinson Group of Companies, both of whom thanked the UOHI Foundation team for helping to make the event possible.

Levinson is a second-generation volunteer leader with the Heart Institute. His mom is Ida Firestone. One of his uncles, Sam Firestone, was previously on the UOHI Foundation board. Sponsors of the pickleball tournament included Blue Cactus Bar and Grill, owned by Levinson’s uncle, Bob Firestone, and Firestone Restoration owned by his cousin, Noah Firestone. One of Levinson’s aunts is Lindsay Firestone, who’s worked for the UOHI Foundation for nearly 10 years. She’s director of community engagement and development. It was her and Bob’s son Jack who got to play with Phillips after Jack invested heavily, and successfully, in the sale of raffle tickets. 

The crowd heard how the co-chairs spent numerous hours lining and taping the floors to turn the historic Aberdeen Pavilion into a pickleball facility. “You’ve put blood, sweat and tears into this event,” said Lianne Laing, president of the UOHI Foundation, as she delivered a heartfelt thank you to the men and to everyone for coming out to support the tournament. “We feel very honoured and privileged,” she said of the turnout.

The co-chairs provided everyone with a quick rundown as to how the afternoon would go. Levinson reminded everyone: “We’re not in it to win it; we’re here to have fun.”

Because the fundraiser fell on the same day as Cinco de Mayo, there was a festive Mexican theme in the food, decor, costumes and drinks (including margaritas).  Later, there were prizes handed out for best costume and top fundraiser, the latter of which was won by JP Jauvin for raising $6,300.

Pickleball players included Heart Institute’s new president and CEO Dr. Rob Beanlands and his wife, Dr. Geneviève Moineau. Beanlands was former deputy director and head of cardiology prior to taking over April 1 from Dr. Thierry Mesana. Many may remember Beanlands’ father, Dr. Don Beanlands, who helped to found the Heart Institute in 1976.

Dr. Beanlands thanked Laing and her colleague Lindsay Firestone, along with Zappia and Firestone. “A fantastic event, fantastic,” Beanlands added. He next gave a special shout-out to the Heart Institute nurses, both for their participation and for the work they do on the front-lines of healthcare. Erika MacPhee, vice president of clinical operations at the Heart Institute, was among the RNs who played that day.

Lastly, the hospital leader turned his attention to the crowd to thank it for helping the Heart Institute deliver “world-class care” through its support.

Several UOHI Foundation board members took to the pickleball courts, including incoming chair James Annis (BMO Nesbitt Burns), Lucas Matheson (Coinbase), Jean Spicer (RBC Dominion Securities) and Les Mise (Jaguar Land Rover Hunt Club), while the Royal Canadian Mint’s Deneen Perrin chose to watch her husband, Jean Michel, and son, Alexander Michel, play. They’re  patients of the Heart Institute, having both undergone open-heart surgery in their lifetimes.

Participants were invited to visit the blood-pressure clinic and the mobile valve clinic that were on site at the tournament because, as Laing pointed out, “Early detection is the key” to preventing heart attacks and improving outcomes for patients.

caroline@obj.ca