Cornhole tournament fills Stavely Hall

By Rob Vogt

The air at Stavely Community Hall was abuzz with excitement as bean bags filled the air.
The Claresholm and District Health Foundation held their second annual Cornhole Tournament on Saturday, March 22.
Cornhole is a game in which players or teams take turns throwing fabric bean bags at a raised, angled board with a hole in its far end. The goal of the game is to score points by either landing a bag on the board, for one point, or putting a bag through the hole for three points.
The event is the health foundation’s spring fundraiser, replacing the previous banquet and auction.
“We thought we’d try something new,” said Chantel Scott, coordinator for the health foundation.
The tournament attracted 44 teams from across the area, as well as more than 50 people the night before for a practice evening.
“It’s going really well,” Scott said during the tournament.
Teams were also encouraged to dress up along a corn theme of some kind.
“We encouraged them to have creative team names,” Scott said. “People were pumped.”
This year, the entire tournament was put on by the Strathmore Huskers Cornhole Club.
Scott said they provided all the boards, bean bags, and an electronic scoring system.
“It’s stress free,” Scott said.
Proceeds went to meet local health-care needs, totalling about $50,000, in addition to those funded by Alberta Health Services.
Those projects are:
• An electrocardiogram machine, which is used to check how the heart is functioning, for Claresholm General Hospital.
• A glidescope, also for Claresholm General Hospital, which helps to achieve a good view of the laryngeal inlet and the vocal cords when intubating patients.
• Water/ice dispensers for Claresholm General Hospital and the Willow Creek Continuing Care Centre.
• A bladder scanner for Claresholm General Hospital.
The health foundation’s next event is their second annual golf tournament on Saturday, July 26 at the Bridges at Claresholm Golf Club.