If it hadn't been for an ATV accident July 4, the 15-year-old wrestler would be competing at Fargo this week. Instead, Luft's memory is being honored throughout the nation.
Wrestling fans can honor Luft's memory in a number of tangible ways.
Help a young wrestler attend wrestling camp
Like Logan Luft, Jim Brown is a native Iowan passionate about wrestling. Brown, a direct marketing professional and major amateur wrestling booster, created Wrestling for Life to help bring the sport to youngsters in various ways, including providing young athletes with wrestling shoes, and tickets to major college wrestling events.
Brown's Wrestling for Life organization has launched the Logan Luft Wrestling Camp Scholarship for this year. Students who just finished 7th or 8th grade are eligible for this scholarship -- valued at $200 -- which goes towards the cost of a wrestling camp of the recipient's choosing.
The scholarship will be awarded based on academics (50 percent), wrestling accomplishments (30 percent) and community involvement (20 percent). Applications are available now until July 31. Camp must be held prior to the start of the 2017/2018 school year. To request an application, email Brown at jbrown@wrestlingforlife.org.
Go along for a bike ride across Iowa and help the Luft family
Tony Hager, a former wrestler in Ogden, Iowa who now participates in wrestling media -- including Takedown Radio and IAwrestle.com -- came up with a way to burn thousands of calories ... and generate funds to help Logan Luft's family with expenses.
Hager plans to participate in RAGBRAI -- Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, the world's largest non-competitive bike-touring event, organized by The Des Moines Register -- where bike riders travel across the state of Iowa from west to east later this month.
"My goal is to raise $10 per mile that I will be riding on RAGBRAI July 26-29," Hager wrote on his RallyMe.com page titled RAGBRAI Ride for Logan Luft. "My overall ride will hit 190 miles."
"The sport of wrestling is a family," Hager continued. "Now it's time for me to help a fellow family member. A wrestling family member and his family. The costs of funeral services continue to rise and as a father of two I could never imagine having to go through this pain with the burden of the costs. If the money doesn't go to funeral services I can promise you it will go towards something Logan wanted it to."
To contribute to Hager's RAGBRAI Ride for Logan Luft, click here.
Be an organ donor
Logan LuftLuft gave life to five people, including a 7-year-old girl who received his heart. Others will be helped with tissue donations.
Beyond that handful of organ recipients, Logan Luft's selfless act will ultimately benefit countless others. Since his passing, more than 8,000 people in Iowa have signed up to become an organ donor.
"The help that he has given to five other successful transplants is phenomenal," Heath Grimm, head wrestling coach at Upper Iowa University and Luft family friend, told KAAL-TV.
"Look at the number of people who, after watching Logan, show leadership and being an organ donor are now organ donors themselves," said Erik Hoefer, Logan's cross-country coach.
Each state has different requirements for designating yourself as an organ donor. Check with your state's licensing department or local governmental website to see how you can join in this effort.
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