Meet Olivia Shekou, the California high school student who raised $90,000 from 17 states to help women and children in Uganda

A California high school student is in the news for using sports for charity. Olivia Shekou, a senior at The Branson School, is bringing together sports and philanthropy through her latest fundraiser, Paddles for Purpose, which will be held Saturday at Flyte Racquet Club in San Rafael. The event will raise funds for initiatives supporting women and children in Uganda through Netting Miracles, a platform founded by Shekou to help students turn sporting events into fundraisers.

Shekou has already raised more than $90,000 through Netting Miracles, which uses sports such as tennis, pickleball and padel to connect young people with charitable causes.

Olivia Shekou Turns Pickleball Into a Fundraising Platform

The idea behind Netting Miracles grew from Shekou’s interest in pickleball and its ability to bring people together. Shekou saw the sport as a way to create connections among people who may not otherwise meet while giving them an opportunity to support causes they care about.

Rather than organizing every fundraiser herself, Shekou created a platform that allows other students to take the lead. Netting Miracles provides resources, fundraising frameworks, sponsorship guidance and connections with nonprofit organizations, helping students turn their own sporting events into charitable initiatives.


“I founded Netting Miracles to transform how young people engage with philanthropy—not as participants, but as initiators,” Shekou stated.

“What matters most is how many students step into leadership when the path to getting started is clear and accessible.”

Netting Miracles Has Reached 17 States

Shekou’s fundraising efforts have already produced significant results. One earlier tournament at Flyte Racquet Club attracted more than 100 participants and raised nearly $16,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Netting Miracles has since expanded beyond Marin County and has been active in 17 states, with students using Shekou’s model to organize their own fundraising events supporting St. Jude and other nonprofit causes.


The platform’s approach allows students to combine activities they enjoy with community fundraising, giving them a structured way to take ownership of charitable projects.

Paddles for Purpose Fundraiser in San Rafael

The upcoming Paddles for Purpose event marks another step in the expansion of Shekou’s initiative. Proceeds will support education and empowerment programs benefiting women and children in Uganda.

The fundraiser also reflects the broader goal of Netting Miracles: making philanthropy more accessible to young people by giving them the tools and framework to organize events themselves.

Beyond Netting Miracles, Shekou is part of the St. Jude Leadership Society’s national cohort, where she serves as a 2026 peer advisor and mentors student leaders from across the country.


Her work combining sports, youth leadership and philanthropy has also earned her the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award.

Olivia Shekou’s Tennis Achievements

Shekou is also a varsity tennis player at The Branson School. She helped lead the school’s girls tennis team to the 2024 NCS Division II championship.

Through Netting Miracles, Shekou is now using the lessons she has learned through sports to encourage other students to become fundraisers and community leaders. Her latest event, Paddles for Purpose, brings that mission to San Rafael while directing support toward women and children in Uganda.