Register for the Emstrong Pickleball Party
Sunday, August 17th, 2025 | 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Pickleball Kingdom on 4950 W Ray Rd, Chandler, AZWe invite you to join us in honoring the legacy of Emily Burkert Rocha (’15) through the Emstrong Pickleball Party Fundraiser!
How to Join: Pick a partner, pick a team name, sign up, pay, and come play! The entry fee is $70 per person ($140 per team). To register, please submit your 2-person team name, the names of the players, the phone numbers of each and email address of each, and tell us what your skill level is (beginner, intermediate, or advanced) through the form below. There are limited spots, so the team entries will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please Note: Teams will be reserved upon payment. Payments can be made via the form below. If you are playing in the tournament, please register on the registration link and then go to the payment form to submit payment.
If you are interested in sponsoring this event through a court sponsorship ($150 which includes a banner) or giving a general donation please indicate on the payment form. Feel free to contact Penny Burkert at [email protected] with any questions.
The proceeds from the Emstrong Pickleball Party will be directed to worthy causes. The money raised will be split between 2 funds. The first is The Emily Burkert Rocha (‘15) Scholarship Fund at Valley Christian Schools, which provides tuition assistance for a K-12 student with financial need that is living with special needs. Proceeds will also go to the NAU Occupational Therapy Student Emergency Fund, which provides immediate funds for an OT student experiencing a crisis and has financial need.
About the Emily Burkert Rocha (’15) Memorial Scholarship
The Emily Burkert Rocha (’15) Memorial Scholarship testifies to the legacy of VCS alumnus, Dr. Emily Burkert Rocha.
Emily graduated from Valley Christian in 2015, Grand Canyon University summa cum laude in 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology with an emphasis in Pre-Physical Therapy and minors in Communications and Psychology, and Northern Arizona University in 2022 with her doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Emily worked as an Occupational Therapist for HonorHealth in Scottsdale Shea Medical Center.
Emily was married to David Rocha (’15) on March 23, 2019, in Phoenix, Arizona. She was a member of many groups and organization including National Society of Collegiate Scholars and American Occupational Therapy Association. She had a passion for hiking, spin class, Nebraska Cornhusker football, caring for children living with special needs, and her faith in Jesus Christ.
Emily’s husband, family, and friends have created The Emily Burkert Rocha (’15) Memorial Scholarship to honor the life of this effervescent, well-rounded, kind-hearted, young woman. Emily went to her eternal home with Jesus on July 6, 2023.
Register and Give
Registration Overview
Register below to participate in the pickleball fundraiser that will be held on Sunday, August 17th from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Pickleball Kingdom in Chandler, AZ.
Looking to give (donors)?
Use the giving form below to give a tax-deductible gift in support of this annual scholarship. More information on the scholarship can be found below.
The form above is embedded into this webpage. This means that the entire page will not refresh after you click “Submit.” Please do not refresh your browser if you’ve pressed “Submit.” After submitting, your form will disappear and will be replaced by a “thank you” message. You may need to scroll up (or back down) to see this message. If you have any questions about your transaction, please contact Kittren Johnson at [email protected].