NANTUCKET, MA – From before he was born, Owen Larson has been coming to the island of Nantucket. After years of falling in love with the island that feels like his second home, Owen became determined to find a way to give back – and the OWL Cornhole Classic began.
“This community is just so electric,” says Larson, Founder of the OWL Cornhole Classic. “I was a camp counselor, I’m with kids every day telling me about their dreams, about their aspirations in life and I just wanted to help other kids fulfill their dreams. The more funding the camp has, the more things they can do, the more people can branch out and do their own things.”
On the sprawling lawn of the Nantucket Boys & Girls’ Club, the Cornhole Classic brought together families of all ages in support of the center that provided resources for thousands of local families. “We just love Nantucket so much. It’s really our happy place, our favorite place,” says Megan Gilly, recalling their first annual tournament on the lawn of a family home. “We just wanted to give back to the community, both people who are here just for the summer as well as people that are here all year,” she explains. “It’s been amazing to see that we’ve come from a backyard event with maybe 20 people to where we are today. We started off with little kids and now we have high school and college.”
What’s the vibe: Chill, laid back summer day on Nantucket enjoying playing cornhole and mingling with old & new friends.
From the delicious donuts to the collaborative atmosphere that’s competitive for good – the tradition that brings in players from all over the country – some even international – has raised over $21,000 in six years. “Owen really just represents the next generation of supporters for the Boys & Girls’ Club,” says Jasmine Lee, Director of Communications for the Nantucket Boys & Girls’ Club. “We allow parents to do what they do whether that’s enjoy their vacation or work, we are that safe space where they can drop their kids off and know they’re being taken care of and then pick them up after a long day and they’ll come home with lots of stories, lots of memories and lots of friends.”
To learn more about the OWL Cornhole Classic or Nantucket Boys & Girls’ Club, visit their websites.
To see more stories like this or if you have an event you’d like to pitch to Emmalyn to cover, email emmalyn@emmalynreid.com.
Emmalyn Reid 