Randy Sams shelter hosts cornhole tournament to restock summer supplies

Randy Sams Outreach Shelter is using its cornhole tournament to do more than fill a bracket: the Texarkana nonprofit is trying to restock the summer supplies it leans on to serve people and families experiencing homelessness. The shelter says it needs bottled water, sports drinks, canned vegetables, beans, rice, pasta, sauces, dry milk, cereal, paper products and bathroom tissue, along with toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, razors and feminine products.

The Randy Sams Invitational Cornhole Tournament is set for Sunday, August 2, at the Arkansas Elks Club, 4701 Garland Avenue in Texarkana, Arkansas. Play begins at 3 p.m., and the event will include both amateur and pro divisions, with trophies going to the top teams. Registration remains open through July 27, and team entry fees run from $130 to $500 depending on the division selected.

That setup makes the tournament a practical fundraiser as much as a competition. Every registration dollar has a defined destination, with proceeds going to the shelter, which works with residents facing homelessness in the Texarkana area. For players, that means the entry fee is tied directly to a local service provider rather than a distant cause, and for the shelter it creates another source of summer support at a time when emergency shelves can run thin.

The donation list also shows how wide the need is beyond food and drinks. Randy Sams is asking for men’s boxers in larger sizes, shorts and pants, women’s underwear, reading glasses, reusable shopping bags and reusable drink bottles, items that matter when a shelter is trying to cover both immediate comfort and daily logistics. Financial contributions can also be made through the shelter’s online options, and contact information is available through Larry Oxford.

In a crowded cornhole calendar, the appeal here is simple: show up at the Arkansas Elks Club, compete for trophies, and help put basics back on the shelf for Texarkana residents who will need them long after the last bag is tossed.