Fort Calhoun girls basketball cornhole tournament moves to November

Published 2:57 pm Monday, October 5, 2026

The Fort Calhoun girls basketball program will hold its annual cornhole tournament fundraiser Nov. 7 at The Fort Bar. The event includes a cornhole tournament, a silent auction and a taco bar. Games will be played outside on the bar’s sand volleyball court.

The tournament is about 10 years old. Former head coach Allie Schleifer started it in the mid-to-late 2010s, and Coach Plum continued it during his four years leading the program. Current head coach Eric Jones is organizing it for the third time.

Each athletic program at Fort Calhoun is responsible for its own fundraising and is allowed one major event per year, Jones said. The tournament is usually held in August. Jones moved it to the window between the fall and winter seasons.

“I had never liked stepping on the toes of the fall-sport coaches or distracting the girls from their fall sports,” Jones said.

The later date means colder weather. “People are going to have to be prepared for it to be a bit cold,” Jones said. “So bring your cold gear for when you’re out playing.”

Jones declined to share the program’s annual budget or fundraising goal.

“Between the gear (sweatshirts, T-shirts, travel gear, etc.), summer camps, breakfasts, paying camp workers, youth clinics, snacks, Gatorades, end-of-season awards, team dinners, etc., the budget number gets very high,” he said. “I’d rather not go into specifically what we spend in a year or what we hope to fundraise, but I imagine it’s far more than most people assume.”

Jones said public high school programs compete with summer, AAU and club teams, and the money helps make the experience special for athletes. Players handle the silent auction fundraising, including cold-calling businesses, and help set up the day of the event. Because alcohol is served at the venue, no one under 21 may attend or participate.

“The support means the world. It directly impacts winning and losing,” Jones said. “Kids who feel valued and supported will run through walls for their teammates, coaches, families and community. Our girls know how much our community cares for them, and we know who we play for.”

Parent volunteers help run the taco bar. Jones said The Fort Bar usually offers pizza that night as well.

Teams can register through the QR code or link on the event flyer. Registration is capped at about 35 teams because of space and closes once that number is reached. Organizers hope to finalize teams by Oct. 15 to order shirts.

Silent auction items are requested a week before the event. Anyone interested in donating an item, advertising or both should contact Jones through the school.