Bag It for a Cause: United Way’s First ‘Bean Bag Benefit’ Lands at Block 34

UPDATE: The City of Stillwater and the United Way of Payne County have postponed the fundraising event to April 25, 2026, due to short notice and lack of signups.

United Way of Payne County is hosting its first-ever “Bean Bag Benefit” at Block 34 on Friday, Nov. 7, to support partner nonprofits. The tournament consists of teams of two in a double-elimination bracket. Check-in begins at 11:30 a.m. for teams, and the tournament starts at 1 p.m.

The entry fee of $100 per team directly supports United Way’s active campaign. Teams will first play a few pool-play games to decide seeding for the final bracket. Various local food trucks will also be at the event for guests to have a quick bite before or after the games.

Ruth Cavins, Executive Director at United Way of Payne County, said the tournament, in partnership with the City of Stillwater, is 1 of 46 local workplace campaigns raising money to support United Way.

*A United Way progress gauge located at the YMCA on Duck St. shows the campaign at 40% on Nov. 4, 2025. – Photo by Chris Peters*

“We are raising $1.25 million, hopefully by mid-December, and those dollars go back to support 22 local nonprofit organizations that serve Payne County,” Cavins said. “There are lots of events happening all over the place, so if somebody can’t attend this event, look for others; it’s a fun way to get involved with fundraising.”

While the tournament entry fee is the only direct source of fundraising for this event, United Way always hopes to encourage community donations by providing experiences like this one.

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Dominique Cannon, Campaign Assistant at United Way of Payne County, said that United Way does not use the funds for direct assistance, but rather distributes them to partner agencies.

“Our mission statement is to improve the lives of individuals in Payne County by uniting resources,” Cannon said. “I think that we really excel in our connections and relationships with Stillwater.”

United Way has an annual “Day of Caring” that is an excellent opportunity to get involved. United Way and its partner agencies put together a list of projects, and volunteers from around the area spend the day finishing them. Over 700 volunteers helped in this year’s “Day of Caring.”

Besides volunteering, financial support also has a big impact. Cannon said that OSU is very prevalent in United Way campaigns, raising over $310,000 last year, but that she hopes to see more involvement from throughout our community.

A United Way progress gauge located at the Student Union on campus shows funds raised by Oklahoma State University faculty, staff and students has reached almost 80% of it's campaign goal of $310,000 on Nov. 4, 2025. – Photo by Chris Peters

Currently, only three teams are registered for this cornhole tournament, so there are plenty of spots left. Registration is open until Noon on Friday. www.unitedwaypaynecounty.org/bean-bag-benefit