ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A pickleball tournament fundraiser is aiming to help children in need. Rev, the mascot for the nonprofit Healthy Highway, is at the center of this initiative.

The founder’s goal is to give away pillows and spread comfort. News10NBC spoke with Wendy Cooper, the woman behind Rev, about the pickleball community’s support for the “Rev-olution.”

Wendy Cooper, a former teacher of 30 years, created Rev as a mascot for a healthy eating lesson. It was the lesson that took off first, taking her to education conferences and schools all over.

“He actually was a cardboard cutout to begin with, three-foot-tall and the kids hugged him. So I thought alright we have to make him a little softer,” Cooper said.

Cooper’s goal is to distribute as many Rev pillows as possible to kids. She funds the pillows through pickleball tournaments, with each registration covering the cost of one pillow. Saturday marks her 7th “Rev-olution” event at Roc City Pickleball, celebrating the 1,000th pillow given out.

Cooper explained the impact of the pillows: “They just really see that connection and it’s very powerful for them knowing that this child will receive a pillow with their name on it even though they don’t know this person. But that child will know that’s a real person that thought of them.”

Rev pillows have reached 25 states and over 60 organizations. Cooper recently delivered her first pillow personally, describing the experience as “priceless.”

“I will always remember it. They take a hold of Rev they put him right to their chest to their heart and they don’t let go,” she said.

While the tournament on Saturday is full, the public is invited to celebrate the milestone and learn more about Rev here.

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