Meet Olivia Shekou, the California student who turned one pickleball fundraiser for St. Jude into a sports platform that grew to 17 states and raised more than $90,000

Olivia Shekou, a senior at The Branson School in Marin County, California, has raised more than $90,000 through a sports-based philanthropy platform. Now, she is preparing for her latest fundraiser, this time benefiting women and children in Uganda. She is partnering with San Rafael resident and longtime Marin philanthropist Melissa Prandi to host Paddles for Purpose on Saturday at Flyte Racquet Club in San Rafael.The event is the latest one organised through Netting Miracles, a platform Shekou founded to help students turn tennis, pickleball and padel events into fundraisers for causes they care about. The effort began with a single pickleball fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and has since grown into an effort working with students and nonprofit organisations across the country. Shekou has now raised more than $90,000 through Netting Miracles, according to information provided by the organisation.Shekou fell in love with pickleball because of how naturally inclusive it felt. “The sport creates connection between people who might never otherwise cross paths. It gives people a reason to show up, interact, and rally around something bigger than themselves. Netting Miracles grew from that realisation. For Olivia, pickleball became the most natural way to invite people in, build community, and turn joy into impact,” says the website. How Shekou made her effort unique and more impactful was that she did not organise every fundraiser herself. Rather, she created a system that other students can use to launch their own events. The platform provides fundraising resources, event frameworks, sponsorship guidance and connections with nonprofit organisations.“I founded Netting Miracles to transform how young people engage with philanthropy—not as participants, but as initiators,” said Shekou according to a report by Patch.com. “What matters most is how many students step into leadership when the path to getting started is clear and accessible.”Shekou has previously hosted several events at Flyte Racquet Club, including a tournament that drew more than 100 participants and raised nearly $16,000 for St. Jude. Moreover, Netting Miracles has expanded beyond just Marin. The initiative was previously active across 17 states supporting St. Jude, with students elsewhere using Shekou’s model to organise their own fundraisers.Theo Paddles for Purpose event on Saturday marks another expansion for the platform. Proceeds will support education and empowerment initiatives benefiting women and children in Uganda.Shekou also serves as a 2026 peer advisor for the St. Jude Leadership Society’s national cohort, where she mentors student leaders from around the country. She also received the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award for her work using sport to raise money and build community for causes including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She is a varsity tennis player and helped lead the Branson School girls tennis team to the 2024 NCS Division II championship.