Carol Stream ‘bags’ tournament headed for another banner year
Slots are going, going, nearly gone for an annual Carol Stream “bags” tournament that has raised nearly $200,000 in its first seven years.
The Chrissy’s/Flood Brothers Relay for Life Bags Tournament starts on Feb. 13 at Chrissy’s Gaming Bar & Grill, 552 N. Gary Ave., Carol Stream.
The bags tournament (the bean bag tossing game also known as “cornhole”) runs throughout February and into March, with finals scheduled for March 13.
As of Monday, there were still about 22 team spots remaining.
Inspired by Carol Stream Trustee Matt McCarthy, the tournament began in 2016 to benefit the American Cancer Society’s charity walk, Relay for Life.
“I thought a great way to start was to do something in the middle of winter when nothing else is going on. I came up with the idea of an indoor bags tournament,” McCarthy said in an email.
“My wife, Linda, and daughter, Shannon, and son-in-law, Tim, jumped on board. We then put together a committee to get things rolling.”
Since that first year when it earned $10,500, the tournament has raised and donated $191,750 to 18 charities and organizations. Of that total, $124,550 was directed to the Relay for Life.
The “Bags for Life” committee, which includes village trustees Joe Anselmo, Jeff Berger and Mary Frusolone, hopes to raise at least $58,250 from this year's tournament.
“It is doable,” McCarthy said. “We just need a great tournament and raffle.”
This year, the entry fee is $40 per team. Raffle tickets also are being sold for $5 starting Feb. 13 at the Relay for Life Bags Tournament Facebook site. Raffle prizes include everything from a pizza oven to massage therapy sessions at a Carol Stream chiropractic clinic.
Longtime sponsors Flood Brothers Disposal, Carol Stream Mayor Frank Saverino and “Team Saverino,” Chrissy’s Gaming Bar (initially Flip Flops Tiki Bar & Grill, which closed in 2017 with owners Bob and Chris Sabalaskey focusing on Chrissy’s) have been joined by Aqua Landscapes, Berger Strategic Communications, Iron Branch Group, and New Tradition Funeral Services. There are other sponsors for the cornhole boards themselves.
The Bags for Life committee tweaks the tournament periodically.
A children’s tournament was added in 2020. This year, the committee added “fun nights” for less accomplished bags players who, McCarthy said, might have a “better chance to win a few games.”
This tournament is a hot ticket. According to a Relay for Life Bags Tournament Facebook post, by Monday it had attracted 127 teams.
Fun nights on Feb. 19 and March 5 were already fully booked, as was the Carol Stream Staff Night on Feb. 28. Just one slot remained for the final fun night on March 11.
The Relay for Life Bags Tournament may also be reached by email at rflbags17@gmail.com.
“More than anything, our little group wants to make a difference and an impact where it is needed,” McCarthy said.