Pie In The Face Event Raised Over 13,000 for Access
ASHLAND — The 3rd Annual Summer Kick-Off hosted by Access and Ohio Fire brought fun, fundraising and plenty of community spirit to Foundation Plaza in Ashland.
The event featured cornhole, dine-to-donate pizza, live music, horse-drawn carriage rides and the always-popular pie-in-the-face fundraiser, with proceeds going directly to Access.
Sunny with Access said this was the third year for the Summer Kick-Off, while the cornhole tournament and pie-in-the-face fundraiser were added last year and returned for their second year.
“It’s our second year for our cornhole and pie in the face part of our Summer Kick-Off,” she said. “Summer Kick-Off is our third time doing it. We just added the cornhole and pie in the face contest to it.”
This year’s pie-in-the-face fundraiser brought plenty of laughs and excitement. Sunny said six teams took part, each partnering with a member of the community to raise money for Access. Each team had a goal of raising at least $1,000 in order to “pie” their teammate.
Teams included:
Sunny McCarty and Dr. Kevin Priest — Team “Flossy Posse”
Travis Pickering and Brandon Carpenter — Team “Haul’er Back”
Renae Beck and Deputy Kyle Pidgeon — Team “License to Pie”
Ashley Williams and Lane Porter — Team “Tow-the-Line”
Shelly Jones and Phillip Bennett — Team “Polish & Purpose”
Gabe and Chloe — Team “Young and Sassy”
If a team raised more than its goal, the fun continued, with an Access staff member or organization member also getting a pie in the face.
Sunny said several teams went above and beyond their fundraising goals, with one team, Ashley and Lane’s team, raising a little over $6,000.
The crowd also got involved in the fun. Sunny said Dr. Priest’s children asked if they could bring sprinkles, and after their dad took a pie in the face, they added sprinkles to the moment.
“We had a lot more crowd involvement this year with our pie in the face contest,” she said.
Sunny said the contestants and their teammates were a big part of making the fundraiser successful, helping bring energy, laughter and donations to the event. The pie-in-the-face contest has quickly become one of the highlights of the Summer Kick-Off, giving the community a fun way to support the mission of Access while cheering on familiar faces.
The cornhole tournament also brought out plenty of friendly competition. Fifteen teams took part this year, nearly matching last year’s 16 teams. Each team was able to pick its own name, leading to some creative entries, including Hole Patrol, Dad N Son, Asphalt Ghosts, Lucky Tossers, Need A Ride!, Goldfish Brain, The Badgers, Big Bob & Lil’ Ron, Corn Stars, Here for the Vibes, Generational Toss, 2OldGuys and Badger Bag Throwers.
The winning team was 2OldGuys, made up of Travis Jordan and Mike Juarez. Sunny said the team is nationally ranked, making the win even more exciting.
Access is a temporary shelter program serving Ashland County families. Sunny said the organization provides housing, life skills classes and relational connections to help people become stable and successful.
Access also works with families on areas of wellness, including medical needs, transportation and other support services. The organization has three support coordinators who work one-on-one with clients.
Sunny said organizers are already looking ahead to next year and hope the event continues to grow.
“We’re hoping next year is even bigger and better,” she said.
Anyone interested in being a partner for next year’s pie-in-the-face contest can contact the Access office or email director@ashlandaccess.com.
Total Raised for Pie in the Face Event was $13,750.00
Total for CornHole Tournament (including prize payout) $600.00
Total for both = $14,350.00
