Sutherlin Throwdown Connects Young Workers With Industry Opportunities
By Craig Reed
Bags, barbecue, and brews are featured at the third annual Sutherlin Throwdown on Friday, July 18, through Sunday, July 20, in Sutherlin’s Central Park.
The weekend includes a cornhole tournament pitting the best against the best. During a sanctioned barbecue event, teams grill in a 4-meat competition. The festivities include plenty of drinks to sample and savor in a beer and wine garden. Saturday concludes with an evening concert.
The Sutherlin Throwdown is a benefit for the Made for Trades Scholarship Program. The goal of the throwdown is twofold—to host an event that has a positive economic impact on the community while partnering with local industries to mentor and guide future workers toward careers in the trades.
Terry and Lisa Brock, owners of The Body Shop Total Fitness in Sutherlin, organize the event with the help of many volunteers and sponsors.
“We want to highlight our cause, the Made for Trades Scholarship Program,” Terry says. “It’s a ground-floor program. Our idea is to bring money into our community from outside and then help people who want to work to advance in their trade with the help of scholarships.”
Terry says Sutherlin-area businesses are often approached to financially support scholarships and sponsor events, so the Sutherlin Throwdown’s goal is to attract out-of-town backers. He adds, however, that he is grateful for sponsorships from Murphy Plywood and Wyoming National Logistics of Sutherlin, Con-Vey, and Douglas Electric Cooperative of Roseburg, and several other participating local companies.
Last year’s event raised enough money to fund 14 scholarships, totaling $20,000, for students pursuing trade or technical schooling.
“What we make we put back into our community, back into our future workers,” Terry says. “People like our cause, people support our cause. It’s a great event where people have a great time.”
Serious Competitors
62-player teams competed in last year’s cornhole tournament, which is sanctioned by the Southern Oregon Cornhole Association.
The Brocks expect 100 teams this year.
“They fly in from all over, including professionals,” Terry says.
Round-robin play on July 19 determines the skill levels of the teams and their placements in 1 of the 4 brackets for the July 20 tournament.
The barbecue competition, sanctioned and judged by the Kansas City Barbecue Society, attracted 33 teams last year. The Brocks expect at least that many this year.
“It’s a great opportunity to try some barbecue from all over the nation,” Terry says. “We are now a premier event on the competitive barbecue circuit where teams can earn points to qualify for the national Kansas City Royal and Jack Daniel’s events.”
Highlighting Local Students
While the cornhole and barbecue competitions are big draws, attendees can also check out other activities that showcase area students. The shed build, for example, involves several teams of students.
Bugling Heights Drafting and Design of Sutherlin designed the 8-by-10-foot sheds, and L&M Custom Builders of Sutherlin is supervising the students in creating kits for the sheds. The kits are assembled on July 19. Prior to the evening’s concert, the sheds are auctioned off.
“This will give kids the opportunity to show their skills, to build the sheds in front of people,” Terry says. “It’ll give the kids the opportunity to look building contractors in the eye, to face someone who is looking for hardworking people and who might invest in their future.”
A robotics demonstration by Douglas County high school students is another opportunity for young people to showcase their skills to the public.
Sutherlin Throwdown attendees can test their skills behind the wheel by stepping up to the truck-driving simulator, and many of the nearly 30 local vendors who set up booths at the event host demonstrations of their own.
“This will be almost like a career fair,” Terry says. “It’s an effort to support our trade partners, to support industry. There’s so much need out there and so much potential to fill that need. We want to help industry bring back skilled labor with family wage jobs.”
The Brocks say last year’s Sutherlin Throwdown attracted 8,600 visitors. They are expecting 10,000 this year.
Terry and Lisa say they are surprised by the quick growth of the Sutherlin Throwdown, considering they started it as a cornhole tournament because they enjoy the game. Now, they say they don’t have much time to toss the beanbags because they spend so much time organizing the fundraiser to inspire the future workforce.
“I think it’s important for local businesses to see young adults be productive,” Lisa says. “It’s important for young adults not just in this community, but also in surrounding communities, to reach out and earn scholarships in order to test the waters and go into a trade.”