Friday, Oct 2
Euchre Pre-Party
Cards, trash talk, and an early start on the weekend.
the Sparers' house
4th Annual · Rochester, NY
We’re baaaaack.
October 2–4, 2026
Three days. Pickleball, BBQ, and Bills.
Pickleball, BBQ, Bills, and maybe even some magic.
John Conway Boyd
The 2026 goal
The fund is real. Now we make it bigger.
You built a perpetual scholarship in John’s name, and it has already made its first award. Getting the fund to $50,000 is what changes how much it can give — every year, forever.
$34K$50K
68% — the fund stands at $33,804 of a $50,000 goal
- A bigger check every single year — the more the fund holds, the more it pays out, forever
- Room to expand our giving to other organizations in John's name
Our first scholarship winner
This is what you built.
2026 John Boyd Scholar
Maria Shinina
Heading to the University of Rochester
- Co-Editor in Chief of The Trapezoid
- Teen Institute
- Varsity Track & Field
Maria is a Brighton High School graduate who doesn’t do anything halfway. You got this fund past the $25,000 mark that makes it permanent, and it has already made its first award. The first of many.
October 2–4, 2026
The weekend
Three days. Everybody's welcome — bring somebody with you.
Saturday, Oct 3
Pickleball Invitational
All skill levels welcome—play, or just come hang out and cheer.
Dinkers, East Rochester
Then — BBQ Feast
Post-tourney BBQ, drinks, good company, and we break down the game and crown the MVP.
And then — After-Party at Strangebird
Cash bar, great people, and nostalgic conversation that runs later than anyone planned.
Sunday, Oct 4 · 1:00 PM kickoff
Bills vs. Patriots
Bills Mafia, flying pigskin, breaking tables—Go Bills!
the new Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
We're putting the final touches on the sign-up form — that's coming really soon.
Registration opens soon — watch your inbox. Pickleball, BBQ, and shirts — coming soon.
Last year
This is what it looks like.
Eighty-odd people, a lot of trophies, and one very loud BBQ. Got photos from last year? Throw them in the album.
Who we’re doing this for
John Conway Boyd
“A compassionate revolutionist.”The man, the myth, the legend
John taught English in the Far East and financed small businesses in developing countries. He led with indiscriminate love and support, and he made everyone around him feel like the most interesting person in the room.
The scholarship carries his name forward, one Brighton grad at a time. So be like John and connect. Bring someone.
THE POWER OF CONNECTIONS
Official Beer of Be Like John Boyd
Our good friends at Strangebird have been so generous over the years, and they're a big reason this is always such a delicious event. Huge thanks for the generosity — and for the ridiculously good beer.
Give a kid a bigger year.
Donations through this link go straight into the Be Like John Boyd Scholarship Fund, where they keep giving long after we’ve all packed up the paddles.
Donate nowOr go straight to racf.org/jboydTax-deductible, through the Rochester Area Community Foundation.