CHOCOWINITY — Allen Smith focused on his target with all the concentration of a professional athlete.
With a flip of his wrist, he deftly sailed the bag neatly into a hole.
While Saturday’s cornhole tournament at the Chocowinity Fire Department was fun and games, it also raised funds for Toys for Tots and for 8-month-old Nolan Davis Lilley, who is battling a heart condition.
“You just want to help a child,” Smith said. “To hear of any child with a heart condition is hard. It’s really good to help out, especially at Christmas.”
Smith and his cornhole partner Brian Avery, both of Chocowinity, said they have been playing the game for about two years.
“There’s usually a tournament every weekend if you’re willing to travel … a lot of good fundraisers for churches and fire departments,” Smith said. “It’s kind of nationwide now, from big money to just your average tournament for fun. And anybody of any age can play.”
Saturday’s event drew teams from Beaufort and Pitt counties, as well as Raleigh, Dunn and Virginia, according to Jerry Sneed of the Can U Toss/East Carolina Cornhole League, which sponsored the tournaments. For more information about the league, visit its Facebook page.
Sneed said more cornhole action is scheduled later this month in Beaufort County. The Washington Moose Lodge will host a “Best of the Best” holiday classic Dec. 29, with registration beginning at 10 a.m. For more information about that tournament, call 252- 946-8110.