When math teacher Kristen Kenison stumbled upon the Carvana PPA Tour Road To The Finals Sweepstakes, she thought winning a car was a pipe dream.

But, that didn't stop her from completing the entry process.

In retrospect, it was definitely was the right move.

“I was in one of those moods where I thought, ‘What the heck? Why not?’ I scrounged around to get my VIN number, filled out all the information, and submitted my form,” recalled Kenison. 

On the Saturday before Kristen learned that she was a lucky winner, she actually found out that her son Nathan's car hadn’t passed the annual inspection. 

It was an interesting turn of events.

“They have two kiddos that are under the age of two, so they’ve outgrown their car. With two car seats and a beautiful lab, their car is just too tight,” shared Kenison. “They’re outdoorsy people, so they always have a lot of gear. And when they found out that their car didn’t pass, they were going to sink so much money into the repairs.”

The next day, Kristen went for a walk around her neighborhood to figure out how she could help. 

“The thought passed through my mind that I should get all the in-laws together to come up with some money to give them toward a car because they are so loved to pieces. Nathan just went back to work after paternity leave, and in the last couple of weeks their two-and-a-half-month-old is just starting to come alive with all sorts of facial expressions,” said Kension. “I was looking at their tiny house, and all the things they have on their plates. I told them I’m going to keep buying lottery tickets and hoping that something would happen.”

Come Monday, Kristen received a phone call that she won't soon forget.

Kim Pettit, the Vice President of Partnerships for the PPA Tour, was on the line with some exciting news.

She was a winner.

“I just couldn’t believe it. I did a little jig in the classroom,” recalled Kenison. “It was incredibly gratifying to have something like this land in your lap out of nowhere.”

Talk about a perfect early Christmas gift.

It doesn't get any better than this under the circumstances.

“I feel like I could cry right now even talking about it. It just lightened the mood for the whole family as we get into the doldrums of the sun going down at 4:30 every night and the commutes to work. This is something that’s given extra joy into all our lives,” she mentioned. “I hope this inspires more people to get involved because you never know what’s going to happen with pickleball.”

Along with a free car, Kristen also attended the CIBC PPA Tour Finals in San Clemente, CA. And as an avid pickleball player herself, she relished the VIP experience and watching her favorite pros on-site.

“Catherine Parenteau and her partner, Athena, are my heroes at 63 years old. I also love Allyce Jones and Hurricane Tyra Black. There’s something about Tyra’s athleticism, her demeanor on the court, and her focus. It’s just incredible,” she praised. “There’s just incredible kindness in pickleball. At the pro level, everyone is just so accessible and loves to give back to the game. I’m so grateful to be a part of this community.”

This will certainly be a Christmas to remember for the Kenisons.