A Florissant nonprofit born out of a family's grief is gearing up for its 13th annual festival next month, one that has grown from a single cornhole tournament into a fundraising engine that has generated more than $500,000 for mental health causes across the St. Louis region. The 13th Annual Team Jakey Fest is set for September 19, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Knights of Columbus Council 2951 at 50 St. Francois Street in Florissant.
The festival exists because of Jake Zeller, who died by suicide in 2013 at age 24, according to FOX 2. Zeller had graduated from the University of Missouri with a business degree and a minor in psychology before taking a sales job in Oklahoma with Anheuser-Busch, where he was living at the time of his death, as reported by KSDK. Rather than stay silent, his family chose to speak openly about suicide, founding the Team Jakey Foundation in 2014 and hosting the inaugural Gentleman Jake Memorial Cornhole Tournament, which raised $2,400 for suicide prevention.
That first modest tournament has since grown into what organizers call the foundation's flagship fundraiser and concert, expected to draw more than 400 attendees this year. This year's event will benefit the Team Jakey Foundation itself, along with two additional beneficiaries: the Missouri Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Provident Behavioral Health, per FOX 2.
What's Planned for the Day
Team Jakey Fest is dedicated to ending the stigma around mental illness and suicide, strengthening the St. Louis community, and, organizers say, saving lives. This year's entertainment lineup includes bounce houses, magicians, a silent auction, and raffles, giving families a full day of community fun alongside the event's deeper mission of providing mental health resources and information to attendees.
A centerpiece of the day is the Mike Otten Memorial Cornhole Classic, a cornhole tournament renamed to honor the late Team Jakey board member and tournament organizer, who was also a retired St. Louis County police detective. Otten died in August 2024, according to Kutis Funeral Home.
Tickets cost $25 and include event access plus all-you-can-eat food and drinks, with sales and sign-ups available at teamjakey.org. Ahead of the main event, Team Jakey is also hosting a volunteer night on Wednesday, August 19, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Rockwell Beer Company, 1320 South Vandeventer Avenue in St. Louis — a live music happy hour built around recruiting help for the festival. Organizers say potential supporters can get involved by joining as company sponsors, volunteering for the events, or contributing raffle or auction goods and services.
The Local Organizations Behind the Cause
Provident Behavioral Health, one of the beneficiaries this year, is among St. Louis's oldest social service organizations, founded in 1860 by James Yeatman. The organization serves roughly 4,000 people directly while managing about 40,000 crisis hotline interactions annually across Missouri and the U.S., according to information from Provident Behavioral Health. Last October, the organization received a three-year grant from the St. Louis County Children's Service Fund to provide zero-out-of-pocket school-based counseling for St. Louis County youth under 20.
The Missouri Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, another beneficiary, reached more than 17,800 individuals across the state in 2025 through 157 educational programs and community advocacy initiatives, per AFSP.
A Statewide Crisis Behind the Local Fundraiser
The urgency behind events like Team Jakey Fest is grounded in sobering statewide numbers. CDC data compiled by USAFacts shows 1,152 Missouri residents died by suicide in 2024, an age-adjusted rate of 17.8 deaths per 100,000 people that reflects a 43.5% increase in the state's suicide rate over the past two decades. Nationally, AFSP statistical reporting found firearms were used in 56.5% of all suicide deaths in 2024, with the national firearm suicide rate reaching an all-time high of 7.8 per 100,000 people.
Crisis intervention resources in Missouri are seeing heavy demand as well. Out of nearly 89,000 crisis contacts routed to Missouri 988 call centers last year, 76% were phone calls, 17% were texts, and 7% were chats, with 25% involving suicidal ideation or behaviors, according to the Missouri Department of Mental Health. In April, state lawmakers introduced legislation proposing a 65-cent monthly surcharge on telephone bills to create a dedicated, permanent funding stream for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, as reported by KCUR.
For the Zeller family and the volunteers who have kept Team Jakey Fest running for more than a decade, the September gathering in Florissant remains rooted in a simple idea: turning one young man's death into ongoing support for others struggling with the same pain.
