"We have raised over $900,000 tonight," said Mike Novogratz, Chairman of the Board, organizer of the event and the U.S. Freestyle World Team Leader.
"All of the donations will go to sending kids to camp and to support our coaches."
This is the seventh Beat the Streets Gala event, which have all been successful fundraisers for New York City wrestling. It was the first time that there was a wrestling card included with the event.
The Main Event was conducted on the Deck of the USS Intrepid with over 1200 people witnessing some of the nation's top wrestlers with several local middle and high school wrestlers from the Beat the Wrestling Streets Program being showcased streaming live on theMat.com.
At the conclusion of the Main Event, the donors and sponsors went below deck to attend the annual Gala & Benefit.
The 900 guests were greeted by Mike Novogratz, as he introduced the 25 World and Olympic Champions with many of the icons of the sport as a backdrop to the announcement of the New York City Coaches Awards.Presentation.
The evening was elegant and the music provided by the Lost Trailer Band in between the special recognitions of the impact of the program is having with several young people.
The Beat the Streets Wrestling program is not only involved in after school wrestling within the public schools, it is far more than just teaching a sport.
The contributors, many of whom traveled from 27 states, were there to financially support the program while recognizing the impact that wrestling has in teaching life skills, building confidence and self-reliance.
The program provides after school tutoring with study halls at the 10 training centers located in all 5 boroughs. Wrestling is holistic in nature in that it is passed through the professionalism of our coaches, all of whom are professional educators, helping students during and after school in many special ways.
This aspect has not gone by unnoticed by the principals of the schools, where most of them were very reluctant to add wrestling. We have to win the principals and administrators, the kids are the easy part.
Mike presented a video, that is being produced as a "reality show", that has been following several students and their coaches during the wrestling season. The video was shown to all the donors and sponsors and it is still a work in progress.
A special guest, Ruth Leger, a young lady who has been wrestling for two years in our newly created girls wrestling program, spoke in a very moving way of the impact of the Beat the Streets program has had in her life.
Our staff held a Essay contest asking all the students to write about the impact that the Beat the Streets program has had on their life thus far. We will post snippets of some of the outstanding essays received on our website.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, we sincerely thank all of you who attended and all who have responded in such a positive way through letters, phone calls and e-mails. It means a great deal to all of us.
Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and the website: www.beat-the-streets.org.
We are doing some amazing things in New York City. Mike Novogratz has said it best in an interview recently with Scott Casber, TDRadio ..."We are producing a culture of wrestling and we are in it for the next 15-25 years."
With your help and continued support until then, we will turn it over the New York City to keep it going!
BEAT THE STREETS GALA
Battle on the Intrepid
At New York, N.Y., May 13, 2010
Results:
Middle School 135 lbs. -Will Wilson dec. Shateek Palmer
High School 150 lbs. - Jorge Jimenez dec. Andre Antoine
Women's freestyle 59 kg - Leigh Jaynes pin Kelsey Campbell, 0-1, 0:41
Greco-Roman 66 kg -Ellis Coleman dec. Spenser Mango, 5-3, 1-6, 2-1
Men's freestyle 74 kg - Ben Askren dec. Moza Fay, 2-0, 9-2
Men's freestyle 96 kg - Andy Hrovat dec. Kyle Cerminara, 0-5, 2-1, 7-1
Men's freestyle 66 kg - Brent Metcalf dec. Bubba Jenkins, 2-0, 6-0
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