The corny and competitive Big Brother Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana fundraiser Bags & Brew Cornhole Tournament is returning on Saturday, March 23.

Registration for the fourth annual cornhole tournament opened over the weekend. Jillian Cormier, South Region director of impact and outcomes, BBBS-SWLA, said that the size of the event has grown “tremendously” in both the number of teams and fundraising goals.

In its first year, Bags & Brew hosted 50 teams in the parking lot of Crying Eagle Brewing’s University location, 1165 E. McNeese St. This year, 100 teams will compete on the side grounds of the brewery.

Cormier said that BBBS-SWLA’s work with Crying Eagle will be long lasting.

“BBBS-SWLA plans on continuing the partnership with Crying Eagle to host Bags & Brew for many years to come. Eric Avery, owner of Crying Eagle, has been a great supporter and gracious host, and he’s excited to help us brainstorm even more activities in conjunction with them.”

The fundraising goal of this year’s Bags and Brew event has been raised to $45 thousand, which is $15 thousand higher than last year’s goal.

In a release, BBBS-SWLA Chief Executive Officer Erin Davison said that Bags & Brew embodies the mission of BBBS-SWLA – to nurture one-on-one mentoring relationships that “ignite the power and promise of youth.”

“You’ve got the seriousness of competition, much like the seriousness of providing all youth with quality mentors. But then you also have the fun and games, which is really the heart and soul of how mentorship flourishes.”

The fun and family-friendly event allows community members to learn more about the organization and meet some of the Bigs and Littles that the fundraiser will directly benefit.

Every dollar raised through Bags & Brew is used to create matches between Bigs and Littles. Every match costs $2,000 a year to sustain. This amount includes preparing recruitment materials, orientation and training, multi-layer background checks for volunteers and personal support for the Big, Little and family of the match, said Jobi Arceneaux-Caldarera, marketing and communication coordinator, BBBS-SWLA.

“Each dollar is crucial in creating matches in the schools, communities and offices within our seven-parish region.”

The registration cost for cornhole teams – made up of two people 12 years old or older – is $100. This includes two drink tickets and one food voucher per player. Each team will participate in three rounds of round robin followed by single elimination split bracket play.

The first and second place winners will win cash prizes.

Registration closes at 4 p.m on Friday, March 22. To register, visit https://app.scoreholio.com/link/dupv on a smartphone or search for the tournament on the Scoreholio app.

Sponsorship opportunities for Bags & Brew are still available.

For further information, visit www.bbbsswla.org/bnblc.