Cornhole for a Cause and for Fun 

You may have noticed the increased popularity of cornhole tournaments, as they seem to be popping up all over, both locally and nationally. The Tioga County Cornhole league has been in the center of most of these local events. 

Tioga County Cornhole is operated by brothers, Jeff and Rob Noe, both from Nichols, N.Y. This league started in 2019 with just a dozen members who wanted to do a fundraiser for a local family who were trying to recuperate after a house fire. Just five years later, there are over 100 members who continue to do fundraisers and tournaments together. 

Since January, the brothers, along with Roy Legursky, have hosted 10 benefit events and have collectively raised thousands of dollars for local nonprofits and for families in need. 

“We’ve come a long way from just a group of friends in Jeff’s backyard, to holding tournaments all over the county,” said Rob Noe. 

Now, the group utilizes the VFW on Main Street in Owego as well as Kirby Park in Nichols, Ransom Park in Tioga Center, and Jeff’s backyard, which has  been transformed into a cornhole mecca.  

Several local groups have benefited from having Tioga County Cornhole host fundraising tournaments including Catholic Charities of Tompkins / Tioga, the Lion’s Club, the Julia Zepkowski Memorial Foundation, the Tioga County Boys and Girls Club, among many other organizations. 

Catholic Charities (CCTT) held their annual cornhole fundraiser just a few weeks ago at the Owego VFW.  

“The Noe’s always do a great job with organizing the cornhole events for us,” said Michelle McLaren, development assistant for CCTT, adding, “We are so thankful that the entire league is willing to help out with raising funds for our programs.” 

This was the third year that the Noe’s have hosted this fundraiser for Catholic Charities. 

Rob Noe added, “We love doing this, and knowing that we are supporting Catholic Charities and all of the local families that are impacted by their assistance makes it all worthwhile.” 

The Noe’s have their sights set high for the future of their cornhole league, saying that in another three years they would like to see Tioga County Cornhole represented at the national level. 

Rob added, “We have some pretty talented youth members that would easily qualify for professional competition.” 

Currently, ages of membership in the league range from 14 to mid 70’s. While they do have plenty of serious players, the league also encourages those who want to play recreationally and even those who are just learning how to play. 

“It’s a great way to meet new people and get involved in a new activity,” said Noe, concluding, “We are always looking for new members.” 

For more information, connect with Tioga County Cornhole online at www.facebook.com/TiogaCountyCornhole or email to TiogaCountyCornhole@yahoo.com.