MACON, Ga. — It's getting warmer in Central Georgia and we're officially in the meteorological summer. But that doesn’t mean people have to stay inside.
At Tattnall Square Park, pickleball tournaments play through the heat, and Mary Hilson wants to keep it that way.
“I don’t want to stay inside, look at all these people out here. This is an awesome game, and I mean, you can’t meet people just sitting on the couch," Hilson said.
Hilson is one of many players that will do whatever it takes to get out on the court even during the heat. Because of that, she suits up to stay cool while she plays.
“I have my cooling sleeves. Helps keep the sun and it also helps keep you cool and my cooling towel that I dip in cold water from time to time," Hilson said.
Plenty of people head to the courts to just watch the action. They set up tents, bring cool snacks, fans and plenty of plenty of water. Kim Wright said she’d rather be outside at a tournament than staying inside.
"If we're inside, my children are in their rooms on their phones. But when we're out here playing pickleball, we're playing together...I’ll brave the heat for that for sure," Wright said.
The American Red Cross has some summer weather safety tips. They recommend avoiding being out during the hottest time of the day, wearing loose and light clothing and checking on your furry friends frequently when they're outside.
When it comes to heat safety, Kazumi Chino said people need to give pets the same attention
"We’re responsible for them. We’re responsible for protecting them, keeping them safe from overheating. They give us so much love that’s the least we can do for them," Chino said.
Chakeatha Reese would rather stay inside.
"Oh yes, I love to stay inside with my AC. I love my AC," Reese said.
That being said, she still thinks it’s important for the kids to get out.
"Taking the kids out doing something fun with them. Otherwise, they’re in the house too," Reese said.
Reese said she didn’t want to go to the community pools because of the crowd.
"They have it all to they self they can run from here they can from there. Y’all having fun? Yeah, that’s nice," Reese said.
The Red Cross said if people do not take caution during the warm months, they could experience heat illnesses like heat exhaustion or heat stroke.