Bags Fly for Blaine

By Autumn Gavlock
LOCK HAVEN — A cornhole tournament will be held on Saturday, September 13, at the Lock Haven Moose Club to honor the memory of Blaine “Bean” Sementelli, a 21-year-old Mill Hall native who tragically passed away by suicide in June 2025. Held during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the event is not only a fundraiser to assist Blaine’s family with funeral expenses, but also a excellent opportunity to encourage conversation, connection, and community-wide awareness around suicide prevention.

Registration for the tournament will begin at 10 a.m., with games starting at 11 a.m.Participants are asked to register as individuals, and teams will be drawn at the beginning of play.

A chicken barbecue meal will be served at 1 p.m. Tickets are priced at $20 per player, which includes entry and a meal, or $12 for meal-only tickets. Meals include a chicken BBQ quarter, baked beans, macaroni salad, and a dinner roll. Adult beverages will be available for purchase through the Moose Club; no outside alcohol is permitted.

Suicide Prevention Bracelets in memory of Blaine will be available for purchase during the tournament, along with a variety of baked goods. All proceeds will go toward supporting the tournament’s cause.

The event is intended not only as a fundraiser for the Sementelli family but also as a community opportunity to raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention, issues that have impacted families across the region and state.

“We’re truly in disbelief at how the community has come together to support this event,” said Blaine’s mother. “From local businesses donating food and paper goods, to the many volunteers stepping up to help, it’s been overwhelming in the best way. It just shows how deeply Blaine’s life touched others, and how important this cause is to so many people in our small, rural community.”

With an average of 132 suicides taking place each day in the United States, the Clinton County Board of Commissioners brought attention to the urgent need for continued prevention efforts when they passed a resolution in September 2023 declaring the month of September as National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. The resolution highlighted the growing mental health crisis and the need to support individuals before it’s too late.

At the time of the resolution’s passage, Clinton County Executive Board member Cathy Snyder spoke about the role of conversation in reducing stigma and offering support.

“We can talk about suicide prevention. Talking about it removes the isolation for those who struggle,” Snyder said. “It creates a community of help, awareness, acceptance and support.”

She also emphasized that what a community believes about suicide determines how it responds.

“If we as a community believe nothing can be done, then nothing is done and it doesn’t go away,” she said. “But talking about it can make it change.”

According to statistics from Hope for the Day (HFTD) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), suicide is the third leading cause of death for individuals ages 15 to 24, and the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10–14 and adults ages 25–34. Pennsylvania has seen a 32.7 percent increase in suicide rates over the past two decades.

With each unfortunate loss of life, HFTD further states that each suicide impacts 100 additional people, including friends, family members, coworkers, classmates, service members, neighbors, and even social media connections. The ripple effect extends far beyond the individual.

In 2021 alone, there were an estimated 224,000 emergency department visits for self-harm among individuals aged 10 to 24 in the United States.

Mental health professionals emphasize the importance of recognizing potential warning signs, which may include withdrawal from family and friends, sudden mood shifts, preoccupation with death, giving away personal belongings, or expressions of hopelessness.

Organizers of the tournament hope the event serves as both a tribute to Blaine’s life and encouragement for change.

“September is a time to reflect and to act,” one organizer said. “This tournament is a way to come together as a community, to support one another, honor Blaine, and raise awareness that could save a life.”

For more information about the event or to make a donation, contact Garritt at (570) 377- 0793.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24/7 through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 to speak with a trained counselor.