Richard Hawkes hands the check to Barb Byczko, president of the Cornhole Club. Her husband John is next to her. Also pictured are Foundation board members Bill Carpenter and Frank Gould. The others in the photo are players just arriving for a Monday night game. (Photo by Richard Hawkes)
Richard Hawkes
The introduction of cornhole to the Sun Lakes community followed the usual path of a new activity in an adult community. About five years ago, John and Barbara Byczko (formerly from Indiana) started inviting friends to come to their backyard for a night of fun with a new sport unknown to most folks. It didn’t take too long before their backyard wasn’t big enough to host the number of people who wanted to give it a try, as friends were inviting friends who were inviting friends, etc. So, John and Barbara, at their own expense, built more cornhole boards and started inviting people to come to Sisk Park to give the game a try. People from all three of the Sun Lakes communities were coming each week to try out the game. Most of those who visited got hooked and started to be regulars on designated Mondays in Sisk Park. As the number of players continued to grow, John continued to build more boards to accommodate all the players. Eventually, the Byczkos asked the board of HOA2 for a bigger space to play and also petitioned the board for HOA recognition as an approved HOA2 club. Subsequently, the board of HOA2 agreed to both requests.
The club moved for a year to tennis court 1 at Palo Verde, but then, at the same time the club was shutting down play for the summer, HOA2 started a grand project at Sisk Park that would provide an ideal lighted field for cornhole play. By that time, the club had grown to approximately 80 players. Many of the players are couples, and they found the evening play at Sisk Park to be a wonderful night out. With the new lighted area for play with room to accommodate more players, the club is positioned to see its growth continue. Anyone interested in playing can just show up on Monday nights at 6 p.m. at Sisk Park or contact Barb or John Byczko at 219-747-3949.
All Greater Sun Lakes Community Foundation members are volunteers, and 100% of the proceeds from all Foundation events, such as the Christmas Gala, the Country Hoedown, and raffle tickets sold at TAD concerts, are granted to our local charities. If you are part of a local Sun Lakes organization that needs funds to assist your activities, or if you are interested in helping support the Foundation financially or by joining as a “Friend of the Foundation,” please go online to learn more at our website, www.slcommunityfoundation.com.