Santa Rosa cornhole competition raises money for anti-bullying campaign

Nearly 150 people lined a Santa Rosa street Sept. 9 for a friendly cornhole tournament to fund anti-bullying programs in Sonoma County schools.

Cornhole, a lawn game in which teams of two take turns throwing bean bags at a raised, angled board with a hole in it, is growing in popularity, said Bags Against Bullies tournament host Tommy Call.

“Even in the second year it really picked up,” Call said. “Twelve teams went to 32, last year we had 58 teams. This year we had 70.”

It is the fourth year the tournament has been held.

Teams paid a $150 entry fee to play in a round-robin style tournament on 26 sets of boards donated and sponsored by local businesses.

Money raised went to the Safe School Ambassadors Program from Santa Rosa-based Community Matters, a nonprofit organization working to make schools safer and more inclusive.

Though he couldn’t provide a final tally, Call estimated this year’s Foley Street fundraiser will be able to help expand that program to as many as 25 schools, up from 11 last year.

The program trains and empowers diverse student leaders, called ambassadors, with the skills to prevent and reduce bullying in their schools.

“It’s a program we really believe in,“ said Call, who formed the Corday All Day Foundation with father-in-law Greg Courdy, owner of Santa Rosa’s Corday Lighting, to host the event.

Competitors also tossed balls at Courdy and others in a dunk tank, heard live music from local rock band Painted Waves, got tacos from Galvan’s Eatery food truck and enjoyed beer donated by Santa Rosa’s Cooperage Brewing Co., Rohnert Park-based Third Street Aleworks and Petaluma’s Lagunitas Brewing Co.

Galvan’s Eatery owner Omar Galvan and teammate Lucas Dorsett won the tournament. Their prize included a professional set of cornhole boards customized with the Bags Against Bullies logo.

Yet, the afternoon’s vibe was much more celebratory than competitive, Call said.

“I consider it a party more than an actual tournament,” he said. “Everybody shows up happy to be there and understands the message.”

Get more information on Safe Schools Ambassadors at pdne.ws/3r5KHN1.