Euchre tournament provides bower power for Barberton students, card enthusiasts

Alan Ashworth, Akron Beacon Journal
·4 min read
Paula Kallio, top left, and Barberton Councilwoman Tayler Thompson and Thompson’s children Michael, 7, left, Leah, 4, Madelyn, 10, and Brianna, 2, at Kallio’s home in Barberton. The women are organizing a citywide euchre tournament and proceeds will purchase school supplies for kindergarteners through fifth graders in Barberton.
Paula Kallio, top left, and Barberton Councilwoman Tayler Thompson and Thompson’s children Michael, 7, left, Leah, 4, Madelyn, 10, and Brianna, 2, at Kallio’s home in Barberton. The women are organizing a citywide euchre tournament and proceeds will purchase school supplies for kindergarteners through fifth graders in Barberton.

Next week, Barberton euchre fans will put all their cards on the table to provide school supplies for an estimated 1,500 students.

Every kindergartner, every 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-grader.

Starting on Tuesday, hundreds of euchre players will participate in a tournament at venues throughout Barberton, as the Magic City becomes the Bower Burg.

The tournament is the latest mission of resident Paula Kallio, who shuffled an idea from Councilman Thomas “Bebe” Heitic and dealt what she hopes will be a winning hand for local students and euchre enthusiasts.

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“I was talking to Bebe and he said, ‘Why don’t you do a euchre tournament?’ ” she said.

Kallio, no stranger to charitable efforts and public service, has served on boards and committees for the city, the Barberton Community Foundation, the Salvation Army and South Summit Chamber of Commerce.

She liked Heitic’s suggestion immediately. For one, euchre is popular in the city, and it’s a team — two teams of two players pair off — activity. For another, it wasn’t a golf event.

“If I hear golf tournament one more time, I’m going to scream,” she said Thursday in an interview at her Barberton home. “People like to play euchre — all ages.”

Cards for the kids

In the spring, Kallio had met with Barberton City School District Superintendent Jeffrey Ramnytz and other school officials, exploring what the district’s youngest students might need to help them off to a strong start in the next school year.

They decided on school supplies for the students, estimating a need for 1,500 backpacks stuffed with crayons, glue, scissors, notebooks and all the basics a striving student would need to help achieve academic excellence. The project, she estimates, will take about $20,000 to complete.

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Kallio put together a team to organize the euchre tournament, and Barberton Councilwoman Tayler Thompson was tasked with the logistics.

Starting on Tuesday at multiple locations — the number continues to grow — euchre teams will pair off at local businesses, with winners at each location advancing to the July 19 championship. The finalists will compete at the Barberton Moose Lodge, where a basket raffle and 50/50 drawing will also take place, Thompson said.

The winning euchre team at the July 19 finals will receive this trophy. [photo courtesy Tayler Thompson]
The winning euchre team at the July 19 finals will receive this trophy. [photo courtesy Tayler Thompson]

The councilwoman said she tried to keep tournament rules simple and easy to navigate. And she said venues with high participation rates will feed additional teams to the championship.

“For every 10 people, one team will go,” Thompson said. “… I feel that anybody that wants to [can] jump in and get involved.”

Players must bring a partner, and the cost is $10 per player.

A boost from Marc's

Thompson said it’s difficult to estimate how many teams will participate, but more than 100 players have registered or stated their intent to do so. As of Thursday morning, nine locations were hosting round 1 competitions, with at least one more possible, she said.

Players who can’t get enough of the popular card game can get euchred at one venue and register at another location for a second chance, she said.

Kallio said members of the euchre organizing team will circulate at the locations, explaining the fund-raiser to players and encouraging the participants.

She said Marc’s, which recently opened a location at the Magic City Plaza, stepped up to provide supplies at-cost for the fundraiser.

More: Marc's opening store in Barberton's Magic City Plaza in June, filling void left by Kmart

“That blew me away,” she said.

Kallio said students, especially younger children, had a difficult time during the pandemic and they and their families deserve a break.

“These kids were locked down and when they did get back to school, they had to wear masks,” she said.

Both women are hoping the tournament is successful enough to make it an annual event. Perhaps, they speculated, the Magic City could become the euchre capital of Ohio.

“When I was having the trophies made, I made sure to have 2022 put on it,” Thompson said.

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.

How to register, where to play

To register, go to https://bit.ly/3nPmqpc or email Tayler Thompson at tmthompson0623@gmail.com. Organizer Paula Kallio said teams can register at round 1 tournament locations up until the time of the event. The championship is at the Barberton Moose Lodge on July 19 at 6 p.m. Round 1 times and locations:

Tuesday:  Green Diamond, 6 p.m;  Pregame Tavern, 6 p.m.;  Block 7, 7 p.m.;  The Barberton Liedertafel Club, 7 p.m.

Wednesday: Barberton Moose Lodge, 6 p.m.;  Red, White & Brews, 7 p.m.

Thursday:  VFW Post 1066 Barberton,  6 p.m.;  Ignite Brewing Co.,  6 p.m.

Friday:  M and M’s Taphouse, 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Euchre tournament provides bower power for Barberton students