Profiles in cornhole: Cleveland Clinic Innovations ready for comeback

Cleveland’s medical community takes its cornhole (somewhat) seriously. In preparation for the MedCityNews.com Medical Cornhole Tournament in Cleveland, interns Diana Jack and Tyler Taylor set out to interview players participating this season. This is one in a series of interviews.

Cleveland Clinic Innovations was the winner of the first MedCityNews.com Medical Cornhole Tournament. Director of Innovations Peter O’Neill says Innovations is ready to win this year’s, too (and shows off his cornhole tournament winners bracket for good measure).

To prepare, Innovations is having its own cornhole tournament to train and select the best team for this year’s matchup. And, in his interview, he manages to poke a little fun at local healthcare rival University Hospitals.

As sweet as victory may be, O’Neill points out the best thing about cornhole: “cold adult beverages.”

These cold adult beverages, as well as good medical community company and some sweet prizes, will be at Cleveland’s Gateway Plaza between Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday, Aug. 18 for the 2011 MedCityNews.com Medical Cornhole Tournament. The picnic begins at 4 p.m. and the games will start at 5 p.m. We’ll play rain or shine.

Anyone in the medical community is invited to participate. Registration is $25 for a team of two and includes the picnic buffet and T-shirts. You can register online now. But don’t worry if you haven’t yet mastered your bean-bag-tossing skills; we still invite you to come watch and cheer on your favorite team. For $15 onlookers get food and a T-shirt, too.

This event is sponsored by The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, STERIS, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Ohio State Medical Association, Benesch, The Krill Co. Inc. and Sequentia.

Contact MedCity Media to inquire about sponsorship opportunities.