Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Benefit Webcast set for August 20 from Olympic Training Center
With a first-of-its-kind event, the American wrestling community will come together on Friday, August 20 to celebrate the sport and raise funds for our nation’s elite Olympic hopefuls.
The Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Webcast will be broadcast on TheMat.com live from the U.S. Olympic Training Center from 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Eastern time.
The U.S. World Team members in all three Olympic styles and their coaches will take calls from supporters of the fund, after a day of intense training as they prepare for the 2010 World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, Russia.
The event will be hosted by USA Wrestling broadcast host Jason Bryant, along with Al Bevilacqua, chairman of the Living the Dream Medal Fund project.
Wrestling fans will have the opportunity to “Get on the List” by making a donation, and can call a 1-800 number and talk with a 2010 U.S. World Team athlete or coach. This gives fans a way to directly connect with the athletes and coaches that will represent them in Moscow and support their Olympic dreams with a donation.
There will be numerous wrestling celebrities and special guests who will be part of the entertaining program for the evening.
Among the wrestling celebrities who are anticipated to join the event include Olympic champions Cael Sanderson, Henry Cejudo and Rulon Gardner, plus former wrestler and successful comedian Greg Warren.
The U.S. Men’s Freestyle Team includes athletes Obe Blanc (55 kg), Mike Zadick (60 kg), Brent Metcalf (66 kg), Travis Paulson (74 kg), Jake Herbert (84 kg), J.D. Bergman (96 kg) and Les Sigman (120 kg) plus coaches Zeke Jones, Brandon Slay, Terry Brands and John Smith and others.
The U.S. Women’s Freestyle Team includes athletes Alyssa Lampe (48 kg), Jessica Medina (51 kg), Tatiana Padilla (55 kg), Kelsey Campbell (59 kg), Elena Pirozhkova (63 kg), Kristie Davis (67 kg) and Stephany Lee (72 kg), plus coaches Terry Steiner, Izzy Izboinikov, Keith Wilson, Link Davis and others.
The U.S. Greco-Roman Team includes athletes Spenser Mango (55 kg), Jeremiah Davis (60 kg), Faruk Sahin (66 kg), Jake Fisher (74 kg), Jake Clark (84 kg), Justin Ruiz (96 kg) and Dremiel Byers, plus coaches Steve Fraser, Momir Petkovic, Rob Hermann, Dan Hicks and others.
Among the celebrity guests invited are the Living the Dream Medal Fund Stewards Mike Novogratz, Dave Barry, Stan Dziedzic, Richard Tavoso, Joe Alpert and Kim Martori-Wickey.
As part of the evening, there will be auctions available for wrestling fans to bid on, including the opportunity to have lunch with a wrestling celebrity at a wrestling event. Another major auction item will be two tickets to the 2011 Super Bowl in Cowboy Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
The number to call will be 1-800-999-8531. Credit cards accepted include VISA or Mastercard.
The Living the Dream Medal Fund was established to substantially increase the financial rewards for U.S. wrestlers who win Olympic and World medals during this four-year Olympic cycle.
Any U.S. wrestler who wins a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England will receive a quarter-million dollars ($250,000). Silver medalists in London will earn $50,000 and bronze medalists in London will receive $25,000. The payout for a World Championships medal in 2009, 2010 and 2011 will be $50,000 for a gold, $25,000 for a silver and $15,000 for a bronze.
Three wrestlers earned Living the Dream Medal Funds bonuses by capturing medals at the 2009 World Championships, silver medalists Jake Herbert and Dremiel Byers and bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev.
The Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Benefit Webcast is a first for USA Wrestling, and is a unique opportunity within the U.S. Olympic family. Once again, the wrestling community is showing its leadership in finding new ways to enhance the sport and support its athletes.
More information on the Living The Dream Medal Fund Telethon & Benefit Webcast will be posted regularly on TheMat.com and through other wrestling media outlets.
Mark your calendar for Friday, August 20 and join our nation’s World Team members as they greet the wrestling community directly and thank them for their support.
Please make every effort to log on and view for yourself the amazing talents our wrestlers have outside of their wrestling skills.
Please consider calling in and we will provide a “shout out” to all who have contributed last year and hopefully, if possible, this year as well.
Sincerely,
Al Bevilacqua
Marketing Chairman
