The Cowtown Classic returns October 2nd to 4th for its second year, a weekend that starts with a Friday night dinner and auction in the Cultural District, fills two days with tournament pickleball, and aims at one number: $100,000, enough to send more than 40 children and adults with disabilities to Camp Summit.
The event traces back to one camper. More than 15 years ago, Paul Straten’s daughter Jackie attended Camp Summit for the first time, and the residential camp in Paradise, Texas became part of the family’s life. Straten spent years raising money for the camp through golf, then through a small pickleball tournament he launched in 2020 with about 30 teams. In 2025, tournament director Bill “Maty” Matyastik proposed something bigger: a Pro-Am pairing everyday players with touring professionals, anchored by an auction dinner. The Cowtown Classic was born, and its first edition raised $65,000 for Camp Summit with more than 70 amateur teams, 12 PPA professionals, and an 80-lot auction.
“Camp Summit gave Jackie a place where she is celebrated exactly as she is,” said Straten. “This weekend is Fort Worth’s way of handing that same week of belonging to the next 40 campers.”
The 2026 weekend opens Fri, Oct 2 at 6pm with a 200-seat dinner and live and silent auctions at Blue Mesa Southwest Grill (612 Carroll St, Fort Worth). Tournament play runs Sat-Sun, Oct 3-4 at Picklr West (1705 S Cherry Ln, Fort Worth), with brackets for every skill level, a new 60-plus division, and Sunday afternoon’s signature PPA Pro-Am, where amateurs draw a touring pro as their doubles partner. At least seven pros from last year’s field have already committed to return.
Every dollar raised goes to Camp Summit, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has served campers with disabilities since 1947. It costs $2,300 to send one camper for a week of swimming, fishing, horseback riding, and cabin life in a place built and staffed for them.
“You do not have to play pickleball to be part of this,” said Matyastik. “Buy a dinner seat, donate an auction item, sponsor a court, or send a camper outright. Every dollar ends up in a cabin at Camp Summit.” Founded in 1947, Camp Summit is a nonprofit residential camp in Paradise, Texas, providing barrier-free outdoor camp experiences for children and adults with disabilities. Learn more at CampSummitTX.org.
Player registration, dinner tickets, and donations are open now at cowtownclassic.org. Sponsorships run from a $500 dinner table to a $20,000 title package, including a $2,300 Camper level that covers one camper’s full week, and organizers are seeking auction items valued from $25 to $5,000. All gifts are tax-deductible.
Courtesy iStock
