Serving the Ones Who Serve Newport Beach
For the third year in a row, the Newport Beach Fire Department Foundation brought firefighters, lifeguards, and the community together for a day of pickleball, fun, and fundraising. This Joy of Giving feature documents how a young nonprofit — founded in 2023 — has already become a critical layer of support for the people who keep Newport Beach safe.
What the Foundation Funds
- Mental and behavioral health programs — addressing the unique stressors first responders carry home - Cadet scholarships — investing in the next generation of firefighters and lifeguards - Wellness and development for active personnel — equipment, training, recovery resources - Community connection events — like the annual pickleball fundraiser that anchors the calendar
Inside the Pickleball Fundraiser
The annual event brings local leaders, donors, and foundation members onto the courts at the Newport Beach Tennis & Pickleball Club. It's part competition, part community gathering — and every dollar raised flows back into the programs that support the city's first responders.
The Bigger Story
Nonprofits that support first responders rarely make headlines, but they're often the difference between a department that retains its people and one that loses them to burnout. The Newport Beach Fire Department Foundation is building the kind of infrastructure that quietly compounds — mental health support, scholarships, wellness — over years.
Watch the full Joy of Giving episode to meet the foundation's leadership, see the event in action, and learn how to support the work.
