Club Sponsors

The Bloomington-Normal Pickleball Club relies on our generous sponsors to help us further the growth of the Pickleball Community in Bloomington-Normal. These sponsors contribute significantly to the events and activities that are available to the club.

You can make a difference by doing business with and thanking these sponsors for supporting our vibrant and growing pickleball community!

GOLD Level

We are excited to be partnering with long time Bloomington-Normal resident and local State Farm Agent, Axel Jimenez. Axel has been in the community since since 2003, when he moved from Ft Hood, Texas to Bloomington-Normal after fulfilling his military obligation. Axel and his wife, Carrie have 4 children: Ella, Gabe, Adler, and Vale.

Axel started playing pickleball in 2022 after sponsoring the B/Town Throwdown Pickleball Tournament. He was quickly hooked and is now fully entrenched in the Pickleball Community. When you see Axel on the courts, please say "hi" and thank him for sponsoring the Bloomington-Normal Pickleball Club.

Sponsor Spotlight: Axel Jimenez, State Farm Agent

SILVEr Level

Dr. Allison Beehner grew up in Towanda, IL and attended Normal Community High School. She then graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine and has been practicing in Normal since. Dr. Beehner and her husband, Brandon, live in Normal and are very active in the community, volunteering with the Bloomington-Normal Jaycees, and free dental clinics in town. They have three young daughters who keep them very busy. They also spend their free time cycling and competing in area bike races and triathlons.

Please welcome Dr Beehner to our pickleball community!

A long time pickleball player, sponsorship of BNBPC was a natural fit for Becky! Born and raised in Normal, Becky is very well connected in the area! She prides herself in having the resources needed to serve her Real Estate clients over and above in service.

Be sure to thank Becky when you see her out and about or on the pickleball court.

Crafted offers the best of two worlds!! CRAFTED is a full service bar, is known for hosting a variety of events, including trivia, sand volleyball leagues, live music and more! Their bar is stocked with local craft beers from your favorite breweries, as well as a variety of wines, bourbons, and spirits, including specialty cocktails.

Or enjoy a gourmet coffee, latte, frappe, tea, smoothie or other specialty beverage. Come inside for the full cafe experience or take advantage of the convenient drive thru service.

We look forward to partnering with CRAFTED for some special BNPBC events!!

Locally owned, Run N' Erin's is joining us as a Silver Level Sponsor. Featuring appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches and more, visit Run N' Erin’s at 1107 W. Locust St. in Bloomington.

Erin enjoys helping and sponsoring community activities and will be partnering with BNPBC for club activities!!

Watch for details on BNPBC events at Run N' Erin's!!

Bronze Level

Thanks to Boucher & Sons Tire for partnering with us as a Bronze Level Sponsor. Boucher & Sons Tire provides EPA certified tire recycling services for businesses and individuals. Located in Mackinaw IL, contact them at 309-231-3251.

The decision to sponsor BNPBC was an easy one for the Boucher family as they "love how pickleball brings people together to have time of fun and socialization."

We look forward to seeing the Bouchers on the pickleball Court!

At Athletico Bloomington, they treat many conditions, including back and neck pain, muscle strains and sprains, and sports and work-related injuries. They offer a wide range of physical therapy and orthopedic rehabilitation services to help you get back to doing the things you love to do (Pickleball!). Athletico clinicians are passionate about helping you reach your goals, which is why they create personalized treatment plans that focus on eliminating pain and reducing the risk of future injuries.

Pickleball is a great sport to encourage people to get out and be active - Athletico is excited to sponsor BNPBC as a great way to create and increase awareness about the sport in the community.

"Home of the Gondola", Avanti’s is a locally owned family business that has served the area for 50+ years.

When asked about sponsoring BNPBC, Avanti's offered "One of our core values is community involvement. We look forward to partnering with the Bloomington-Normal Pickleball Club as they endeavor to further the sports growth in our community. We champion their efforts to bring the joy of pickleball to everyone in the Bloomington-Normal area."

VIsit Avanti's and Thank them for sponsoring BNPBC!

Yoga Lab offers the transformational power of yoga on and off the mat. Through classes, coffee, and community, Yoga Lab creates an experience for each and every person to access the foundational tools of yoga in a unique way.

When asked about sponsoring BNPBC, Owner Adam Ghantous shared "At the Yoga Lab, we believe in the power of community and have really loved seeing the pickleball community grow. Abby and I love playing regularly and are excited to build new connections and find ways to support your community through Yoga, Coffee, and Acai Bowls!" Welcome, Yoga Lab to our Pickleball Community!

Pickleball enthusiast, Mike Talkington is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Illinois. He has over 35 years of commercial real estate experience as an investor, developer, and property manager. He now offers that experience to his clients as a commercial real estate broker.

Mike has lived in the community for over 50 years and has developed long-standing relationships and contacts that helped launch his role as a commercial broker. Because of these individual experiences with a wide varied and client base, he understands the challenges, processes, and professional networking needed to bring projects to fruition.

Thank you Mike, for supporting the Bloomington-Normal Pickleball Club.

Event Sponsors

We thank the following event sponsors for providing financial or in-kind support of specific club activities and events. These event sponsors help us provide activities at little or no cost to BNPBC members and a reasonable cost for non-members.

On September 7th, BNPBC hosted a "Just for Fun" Tournament and fundraiser for St Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Thanks to Anne Bliss for providing sponsorship for the event!!

Special Thanks to Axel Jimenez, State Farm, OhmFit Activeware, and Solid Gold Jewelers for sponsoring the first BNPBC Team Slam. Held on August 3rd, the Summer Slam was a huge hit with players and spectators alike!!

Our first Friday Night Social and Open play was a success!! Sponsored by State Farm Agent, Axel Jimenez, 40 BNPBC members enjoyed and evening of pickleball fun at Bloomington Tennis & Turf.

Thank you Axel!

The BNPBC kickoff event requires the support of both our Club Sponsors as well as other local businesses that pitched in to lead to the success of the event which was held on April 13th, 2024.

Special Thanks to Evergreen Racquet Club, The Rock, Casey's Pizza and Tarvin's Culligan Water.

State Farm Agent, Axel Jimenez sponsored the Learn to Play session that was held March 30th at Bloomington Tennis and Turf. Axel is excited to help provide an opportunity to expand the Bloomington-Normal pickleball community!