Cornhole Tournament Draws Crowd at Elks

By Jen Thomas
iBerkshires Staff
07:00PM / Monday, February 25, 2008

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Tammie Jacobbe tosses a corn bag at the Elks on Sunday.

NORTH ADAMS - Bad name. Good game. Great cause.

That was the primary sentiment on Sunday at Elks Lodge 487 as more than 60 people turned out for the city's third annual Cornhole Tournament. A fundraiser for Children's Hospital's "Miles for Miracles" program, the competition drew teams from across North County to take part in a game that has long been popular in places like Ohio and Kentucky.

"This is a game for anyone. You don't need any real skills, just a need to have fun and it benefits a great cause," said David Bond, whose team was this year's defending champion.

Cornhole, a game in which the objective is to get a beanbag filled with corn kernals (aptly called a 'corn bag') into a 6-inch hole in a platform approximately 30 feet away, pits two-player teams against one another in a double-elimination format. A shot in the hole claims three points and one on the platform is worth one. First team to reach 21 wins.

"It's a really simple concept," said Bond.

Begun in 2005 as a benefit for Caleb Jacobbe, a Clarksburg boy who lost his battle to cancer in May 2006, the tournament raised more than $2,500 this year for patients at Children's Hospital in Boston, according to Keith Bona, an Elks member and the event's coordinator.

Meghan Schrade, 1, has spent much of her young life at Children's Hospital, which the tournament benefits.

"This is really just a fun event to raise money," said Bona. "I started it three years ago because I saw it at a picnic and I'm always trying to come and do something different. You'd be amazed about how big the game is in the Midwest; they've got more cornhole leagues than bowling leagues."

Bona said the city players mostly adhered to the official rules, as mandated by the American Cornhole Association, but the tournament allowed for some flexibility.

"This isn't too much about competition. It's just a good time," he said.

This year, city native (and last year's Cornhole Tournament runner-up) Mark Moulton will be running the Boston Marathon in honor of Caleb and two local Children's Hospital patients - Tilly Brule of Florida and a youngster from Adams.

"I'd never been down to the Children's Hospital before Caleb was there but I spent a lot of time visiting him and the experiences I had were always so great. I wanted to know how I could give back," said Moulton, who has been training for the 26-mile race since November.

Moulton hopes to raise $3,000 or more per child by the April 21 run.

"I'll be out there thinking about the kids," he said.

For Tracy Bassette, the Cornhole Tournament has special significance. Her daughter Meghan Schrade, 1, has been a patient of the hospital for almost her entire life.

Born with transposition of the great vessels - a congenital heart defect in which the two major vessels that carry blood away from the heart are reversed - Meghan had open-heart surgery at just 6 days old. Already on her second pacemaker, Meghan must make trips to Children's Hospital every three months for evaluations.

"She's just so full of life," said Bassette. "You would never know just by looking at her that she's gone through all of this."

Bassette and William Schrade partnered up for the second year in the tournament, doing what they can to benefit a good cause.

"It's just an awesome game," said Schrade.

John Jacobbe, Caleb's father, said the tournament (in which he and his wife, Tammie, have competed the last two years) is a great way to honor his son.

"The first time it ran, Caleb was still in the hospital battling the disease and it was just about this small community that was closeknit. We found an event that could be played indoor in the winter and that year, we got an introduction to cornhole. It's a great activity, a great event and it's for a great cause," Jacobbe said.

After a tense two hours of competition, the Clarksburg Connection, composed of Scott Ingalls and Kurt Brule, took home the honor of being the 2008 Cornhole Tounament winners.

John Jacobbe plays cornhole. The tournament was created to benefit the Jacobbes' son Caleb, who died in 2006 from cancer.

But the point of cornhole isn't prizes and glory; it's all about a good time.

"The laziest person could do it with a beer in their hands," said Bryce George, who hosted a pre-tournament practice session on Saturday night.

"You could very easily come in here if you've never played before and do well," said Samir Maher.

Those who wish to contribute to "Miles for Miracles" for Mark Moulton's marathon run can visit the Children's Hospital Web site and click on "Sponsor a Runner." Moulton will also host a fundraiser on April 5 at the Hot Dog Ranch. Stay tuned to iBerkshires.com for more details.

Click here for a song to sing while you're playing cornhole.

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