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(Isaac Bloom, buzz Photographer)

History is in the making this weekend with the kickoff of the first annual CU Bags Tournament hosted by the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club of Champaign.

The tournament will be held from Friday night to Sunday evening in Campustown and in downtown Champaign, allowing competitors and viewers to experience all the great businesses those areas have to offer.

Bags, also known as cornhole, corn toss, beanbag, bean toss, soft horseshoes or whatever you prefer to call the game, can be played either as singles or doubles. Competitors score by landing bags on the opposite board or making their bags into the hole of the opposite board. The CU Bags tournament is strictly a doubles-only, double-elimination tournament.

Five divisions will play over the weekend, including open, youth, university, corporate and pro. The university division will begin at 7 p.m. Friday with corporate and open play beginning at noon on Saturday. The youth and pro divisions will play at noon on Sunday. Cash will be awarded as a top prize in each division with lower places paying out in gift certificates and football tickets, among other prizes. Michael Byrd of the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club is coordinating the tournament. Byrd said first and foremost, the tournament is a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club as well a great way to have fun. “Being good is not the point — the point is being with friends and having a good time,” he said.

The Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club, part of the national Boys and Girls Clubs of America, has been in existence in Champaign for 40 years. “This is not an after-school center,” Byrd said. “We offer a very structured program with courses in reading, science and mathematics, just to name a few.” The club has a paid staff and offers mentoring as well.

When the club was originally built, it was designed to service 680 kids. Today, the club is servicing 1,780 kids, and over the past 12 months, enrollment has increased by 65 percent. And with only 76 percent of yearly funds coming from individual donations, the annual fundraiser is counted upon to make up a large portion of the difference.

In the past, that fundraiser was the annual Great CU Duck Race, but after 17 years, the Boys and Girls Club felt the race was losing its appeal. “The club decided we needed an event that would create a high degree of interest and could be fun for all ages,” Byrd said. Bags was the answer.

Byrd is especially pleased with the response the club has received from those wanting to contribute to the tournament. Drew Schlumpf, Illinois graduate and founder of Illini Cornhole, is currently working with a small team to build 80 customized bags boards (Schlumpf could not be reached for comment). The Illinois Interfraternity Council has also stepped up to help in addition to many other sponsors.

“We see the CU Bags Tournament growing into something very substantial,” Byrd said. “Everyone is already talking about how big it’s going to be next year.”

And it’s not too late to sign up. Registration will be accepted online through Thursday, Sept. 25. Entry fee is $20.