By Sarah Kuper
The junior board of the Bell Center is hosting the 4th annual Bell Center Cornhole Classic on April 16 at Good People Brewing Company.
Teams will toss bean bags to compete for the $300 first prize.
One hundred percent of the money raised from registrations will go to support the Bell Center.
Junior board President Lindsay Luketic said she expects this year’s tournament to be bigger than ever.
“Birmingham cornhole teams are serious and we will have all other kinds of fun stuff besides cornhole. We are planning for more than 500 people,” she said.
The junior board purposefully plans the event on the same day as the Birmingham Barons’ baseball home opener. Good People Brewing Company is across the street from the stadium, and Luketic said her group recently received approval to block off the street for activities all day.
New this year will be a kids area with games and activities.
Food trucks from local vendors will be on-hand to fuel the competitors and onlookers.
Participants can enter raffles to win prizes and packages donated by local businesses.
Because of donations from the business community, the junior board is able to give all revenue from the event to the Bell Center.
While entry to the event is free, competitors must register their teams. Advance registration costs $40, or teams can register at the event for $50.
The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs is dedicated to maximizing the potential of children from birth to three years old who are at risk for developmental delay, according to its website. Children who benefit from the Bell Center’s programs may have Down syndrome, autism or other special needs.
The staff at the center is made up of speech pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and special needs educators.
Luketic said the junior board does more for the Bell Center than throw events.
“We go and serve. One example is watching the kids during New Parents’ Night,” she said. “That way parents can feel at ease while they learn what their child will be doing at the Bell Center.”
This is Luketic’s third year on the junior board. She said that when the board was established four years ago, only a handful of people were interested.
Now, there are 30 people on the board and they have to turn away applicants.
Luketic said the community is starting to recognize the ways the Bell Center is affecting young people with special needs.
“They make such a huge difference; the care they give is one of a kind,” she said. “They are great with the kids but also with the parents who might be struggling.”
To find out more information about the Cornhole Classic and the Bell Center, visit thebellcenter.org.
