Dowagiac artist to auction off cornhole boards for veteran’s charity

Published 8:00 am Thursday, July 30, 2015

Dowagiac artist Darren Robbins is auctioning off a pair of custom-made cornhole boards depicting presidential hopeful Donald Trump. Proceeds from the sale of the one-a-kind boards will go toward the Wounded Warrior Project, a national charity for veterans. (Leader photo/TED YOAKUM)

Dowagiac artist Darren Robbins is auctioning off a pair of custom-made cornhole boards depicting presidential hopeful Donald Trump. Proceeds from the sale of the one-a-kind boards will go toward the Wounded Warrior Project, a national charity for veterans. (Leader photo/TED YOAKUM)

GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump has made several controversial statements in recent weeks that have caused many Americans to accuse the business mogul of putting his foot in his mouth one too many times.

In light of his remarks, a local artist will provide one lucky person with the chance to put a sock down Trump’s throat — or at least, shove several beanbags down it.

Dowagiac’s Darren Robbins is auctioning off a set of one-of-a-kind cornhole boards, which depict the Republican personality’s likeness, albeit with a vibrant orange and yellow color scheme.

The buyer won’t just earn him or her a talking point at their next camping trip or cookout, though; they will also be making a massive contribution to the nation’s veterans. Robbins plans on donating 75 percent of the proceeds of the sale to the Wounded Warrior Project, a national charity that assists injured members of the armed forces.

“I figured since Trump’s quotable quotes are in the headlines these days, it made sense for me to pull the trigger on a set of Trump boards, donate the money to the Wounded Warrior and see where the ball rolls,” Robbins said.

With Trump’s comments earlier this month about U.S. Sen. John McCain, who was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, sparking a wider debate about the country’s treatment of veterans, Robbins decided this was as good a time as any to help spread awareness of the issue, he said. Problems such as the long wait for care in certain VA health clinics are signs that the federal government still has a ways to go in properly support this segment of the population, the longtime veteran advocate said.

“We should be taking care of these people like they’re princes,” Robbins said.

The Trump boards are merely the latest creations born from the confines of the local artist’s workshop. Robbins, who signs his work with the pen name “Lemmy Cornhole,” has spent the last three years crafting and selling custom-made cornhole boards, fusing the popular lawn game with contemporary street art aesthetics.

Sporting designs inspired by popular films like “The Big Lebowski” and “The Blues Brothers,” musicians like Joan Jett and other pop-culture icons, Robbins’ products have become a hit with customers, both locally and throughout the country, he said. On busy weekends he sells between 20 to 30 sets from his workshop, located on Lyle Street across the street from Hale’s.

“That’s the only feedback I need to let me know that I’m on to something here,” Robbins said.

The proceeds from the sale not going to charity will go toward delivery costs, Robbins said.

The online auction page is located at ebay.com/itm/181816671338, with the sale runs through Tuesday. Locals interested in getting a first-hand look at the products can visit Robbins’ studio this weekend.

“I hope this is just the first of many charity sales,” Robbins said. “The more successful I get the more giving I can be.”