American Cornhole League Stands Up to Cancer

from Inside Tailgating Magazine: Fall 2019

OB54: Football Tossing Game a Touchdown for Tailgates

Fans&Thrills

By Carroll R. Walton, carroll@insidetailgating.com

What happens when you pair professional cornhole players with celebrities like Olympic softball player Jennie Finch, country music star Craig Campbell and stand-up comedian Jeff Dye?

Good times and good money.

**ACL Founder & Commissioner Stacey Moore with Jennie Finch**

That’s what the American Cornhole League generated at its first annual Charity Day event to raise money and awareness benefitting Stand Up to Cancer.

**UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz with Elizabeth & Stacey Moore**

The headlining event was held (and live-streamed) on July 21 in Los Angeles, where celebrities were on hand to bag toss with the best of them. Eight teams, each featuring one celebrity and one ACL Pro player, squared off in a single elimination bracket, had some fun and developed a healthy respect for each other a long the way. Inside Tailgating was proud to join the ACL as a sponsor of the L.A. event benefiting SU2C.

"When I first heard about cornhole I thought it was some inappropriately named frat game played by goons who sniff their own farts," Dye said. "But once I actually played and met the people of ACL, I quickly realized I was wrong. And admitting you’re wrong is the secret to growing. So being able to grow and raise money for charity in the same day was a treat. Also," Dye added. "I’m drunk."

Maybe so. But Dye was speaking his truth. And he wasn’t the only celebrity to have a memorable time in the name of a good cause. Craig Campbell not only opened the day with an acoustic rendition of “All My Friends Drink Beer” but finished it up by winning the tournament. He was paired up with ACL pro Allan Rockwell, who is a cancer survivor himself.

"When I got the call to join everyone at the ACL Charity event, I knew it was going to be awesome," Campbell said. "I was honored to be a part of it and can’t wait to defend my title at the next one."

**Craig Campbell playing a 20 minute set before the tournament**

**Craig Campbell toasting with ACL Pros Leslie and Joe Adcock**

Creating the inaugural Charity Day, and Pro / Celebrity Invitational event, was near and dear to ACL founder and commissioner Stacey Moore, who lost his father to cancer and whose mother is a two-time breast cancer survivor. His sister, Elizabeth Moore eagerly leant a hand in coordinating the ACL Pro / Celebrity Invitational in her hometown of Los Angeles, and aligning Inside Tailgating as a key sponsor for the event.

Pro players like Rockwell, Leslie Adcock, and Dawn Rodgers had more than their mad cornhole skills on display. They relished a chance to share personal stories about their own battles with cancer. Rodgers was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2012 before undergoing surgery and radiation therapy.

"It was the first time I felt comfortable enough to share my story," Rodgers said. "I just felt so much love and support from my cornhole family. It’s nice to know we stand together. I enjoyed so much about the event. The celebrities were all so nice and made us feel so comfortable. We raised money for such a great cause that can help so many people."

**ACL Pros: Eric Ryder, Larry Felix, Eric Anderson, Allan Rockwell, Wade Whitted, Seto Soto, Leslie Adcock, Dawn Rodgers**

In addition to the signature event in Los Angeles, regional directors from the ACL hosted corresponding tournaments in 10 different locations across the country. That number will grow next year.

"This was a personal mission for me," Moore said. "And I learned just how personal it is for so many of our pros as well. I had no idea that we had so many pros who had been impacted by cancer when I created this event. That’s been very touching for me to learn about that."

Moore got to know stories like Eric Anderson’s, an ACL pro who lost both of his parents to cancer at a young age, and to see what the event meant for him.

"Being able to be there to help raise money for something that hits home to me means the world," Anderson said.

**Jennie Finch, Anderson's celebrity partner, signing one of the commemorative boards auctioned off to raise money**

The same can be said for ACL Pro Seto Soto, whose sister-in-law is battling cancer for the fourth time. He walked away from the event feeling a new sense of camaraderie with both his fellow ACL Pros as well as the celebrities on hand. Soto was paired with actor Jonathan Lipnicki, of “Jerry Maguire” fame. Among the other celebrities playing were former Miss USA Susie Castillo, UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz, and actors Rebecca Metz from "Better Things" and Michael Campion from “Fuller House.”

"The celebrities treated us like we were already family," Soto said. "The fact that they friended us on social media and tagged us in photos allowed us to be a part of their family, which was really cool. The event was amazing."