Cornhole tournament to honor late police officer

The fundraising event in memory of Lt. Mike Kelemen will take place Saturday in Monessen.

Lt. Mike Kelemen loved playing cornhole, so the Monessen Police Department thought the best way to remember him is by hosting a cornhole tournament.

Kelemen passed away suddenly Oct. 24 of last year.

The tournament will take place Saturday, with registration beginning at noon and the event officially starting at 1 p.m.

“He lived life to the fullest,” said his sister, Michele Conte. “He was the life of every party. He was the one to get everybody together, probably once every two months, and just have a good time all the time.”

Officer Chris Gray, the main organizer of the event, said they’re hoping to make the cornhole tournament an annual event. The tournament will also aim to raise funds for the department.

It will be held at Herman Mihalich River Launch Park, along Monongahela Street in Monessen. There’s a $50 fee for each team, made up of two people, and the top three teams will receive cash prizes.

One of the restrictions is that there can’t be two pro players on the same team.

Gray encourages local residents to come and check out the event. It’s a bring-yourown- beverage event, and food will available from a truck operated by the Steel Plate, a restaurant in Monessen.

Conte is happy that Monessen police are remembering her brother this way.

“He loved cornhole, I mean, that was his thing,” Conte said. “No matter, if we had a birthday party or we went to a concert, you had to know that you’re playing cornhole, and he had all the brackets ready, and he was in charge of it every time. So that is perfect. I mean, that’s him, that’s awesome, that being that he was a policeman there, and that’s something that we could put his name on and benefit the police department.”