Wrestling Blogs - Jim Brown

The following was posted on one of the wrestling forums I frequent. Friends, those two lovely young women you see in my profile photo and I once lost our home to fire. I vividly remember the outpouring of help and support we got from family, friends and the community afterwards. Let’s show this coach and his kids the kind of people that are in the wrestling community. I’m writing a check as soon as this is posted – what about you?

”From: Garrison, Scott A [mailto:SAGarrison@hammond.k12.in.us]
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 12:50 PM
Subject: Our Wrestling programs is hurting!

I am writing you with a heavy heart. I am a wrestling coach at a high school in Hammond , Indiana . Our wrestling room was hit by arson. I will attach a story that describes in more in detail, but the short version is we lost almost everything. We are practicing in a hallway. We are using old head gear that doesn't fit right, and I think it's pushing some of my freshmen away. We had to purchase new shoes just to have shoes. Most of my kids cannot afford their first pair let alone another pair.

I am at a loss. I don't really know what else to do, we are trying to fundraise, but with the few we have left that is even hard. You know how hard it is to keep a program going, especially in the in-city type school. No funding. When I took over the program, we had a debt of 1200 dollars. I brought it out of that debt, and our wrestling room was actually clean and something to be proud of, well before the fire.

I guess what I am asking for is some help with companies or disruptors that might have extra money in their budget to help out a program that doesn't want to go under.

We are going to get some of the stuff back through insurance, but you never know how long that might take. I still haven't heard a deadline for it.

Thank you for you time and consideration.

Scott Garrison
Head Wrestling Coach
Morton High School ( Hammond , IN )
1(219)989-7316

Story:
Morton picks up the pieces, bounces back from Nov. 6 school fire
Morton picks up the pieces, bounces back from Nov. 6 school blaze

HAMMOND | Rob Johnston isn't old enough to vote, but the Morton senior will never forget Election Day again. In fact, many at Morton won't either.

A fire was set in the school's wrestling room on Tuesday, Nov. 6, the third fire set at the school this year. Hammond police took a 17-year-old Morton student into custody on suspicion of arson. Officials evacuated the school around noon after smoke from the fire set to wrestling mats and football tackling dummies spread throughout the school.

For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:

http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/11...a1007cd460.txt[url]”


Thank you.


Jim


BTW – the address is 6915 Grand Ave, Hammond, IN 46323