Low water levels push Toccoa nonprofit to cornhole tournament

Low water levels on the river forced Self-Discovery 24 RCO to trade its Tubing in Recovery outing for a cornhole tournament, keeping the nonprofit’s summer fundraiser on the calendar. The replacement event will run Saturday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 333 East Tugaloo Street in Toccoa.

The change turns a weather problem into a simpler on-the-ground gathering for the recovery organization and The P-Man Foundation, which had invited people earlier this summer to the 5th Annual Tubing in Recovery event. That original plan had centered on Slow Water at 5756 Highway 29 in Royston, a setting that depends on river conditions and became vulnerable when water levels fell to record lows. The tubing outing will be rescheduled later in the season.

For Self-Discovery 24, the pivot keeps the mission visible. The organization describes itself as a peer support services and recovery group, and its public-facing materials say it offers peer support services and support groups near you to aid recovery. A cornhole tournament fits that work more easily than a water-dependent event: it is portable, low-overhead and built for a crowd that wants to stay together even when the weather or environment gets in the way.

The sport itself is built for that kind of flexibility. The American Cornhole Association says the game uses two boards and eight bags, and its house rules call for four players with the first side to 21 winning. The association identifies itself as the original and official governing body of cornhole, a reminder that the game has a set structure even when it is used for a fundraiser, church night or community benefit.

The shift also keeps the event rooted in Toccoa, where Self-Discovery 24 is listed in local business and chamber directories, including a Toccoa address at 602 Big A Rd #140. For a local recovery nonprofit, that matters as much as the format change itself. Instead of losing a July date to low water, the group is using cornhole to hold its place on the calendar and bring supporters together around an event that still works.