Cornhole For a Cause: Raising Money For a Lifetime Wilmington Resident Fighting MS

Susan Hardimon, a lifelong Wilmington resident, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2003, and for the past three years her daughters have walked in her honor in the Cape Cope MS Challenge Walk. 

This year, Tara Tonello and Shelley Kresser (Hardimon) are hosting a conrhole tournament in Wilmington to help raise funds to sponsor their team in the 3-day, 50-mile walk. 

For those of you unfamiliar with cornhole, it's a akin to bean bag toss. 

Hardimon is a lifelong Wilmington, and worked for the town as a physical education and athletics secretary and then transportation and facilities coordinator.

Tonello and Kresser have been participating in the challenge walk since 2010 alongside their husbands Brian Tonello and Erik Kresser as Team Sweaty Already, last year raising $6,000.

In the three years they have walked, the foursome has walked 150 miles, logged 300,000 steps and trekked for more than 60 hours while raising more than $17,000 for MS. 

The cornhole tournament will be held Aug. 10 at the Wilmington Knights of Columbus at 1 p.m., and is one step on the way to raising more money to fight MS in honor of Hardimon.

"We can’t even begin to imagine what it is like for her to live with this disease each day," Tonello said. "She is the strongest person we know and this is just a small way we honor and support her."

Tonello said this year, the team wanted to find a way to involve those donating to the MS Challenge Walk team.

"We wanted something more interactive this year," Tonello said. "We wanted something that can be competitive and fun while you're giving back, instead of just writing a check."

A team of two players can enter the tournament for a donation of $50, paid by any of the following methods:

• Visiting http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/sweatyalready
• Check made payable to the National MS Society to Tara Tonello: 425 Elm Street, Halifax MA.
  
• Cash the day of the event.