Ledger Independent Article About Wrestle 4 Hope on June 26th

A local independent wrestling organization will be squaring off to help the fight against cancer with a benefit show later this month.

On June 26, the World Wrestling Coalition will bring its roster of rough-and-tumblers to the municipal building in Aberdeen, Ohio for a “Wrestle-4-Hope” event to benefit the Cancer Care Club.

It will be the WWC’s first charity fight since the widely-successful “Ryan’s Sight Fight” event last year and organizers are expecting a massive crowd to turn out in support of a very worthy cause.

“Cancer has touched so many lives in this area, and this is our way of helping people to help other people,” said Marty Mastin, a key organizer of the event. “The Cancer Care Club has helped so many people. It’s really a great organization.”

The fight against cancer is particularly close to the hearts of Mastin and another central organizer, Steve Helphinstine. Mastin’s mother and Helphinstine’s sister have both recently been diagnosed with cancer.

Since 1991, CCC has been providing assistance to individuals battling cancer throughout the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky. The group is based in Flemingsburg, but affiliates are growing in Bracken and Bath Counties.

The club tries to target specific needs of individuals and families who are referred to them, and they also offer general assistance, such as gas and grocery cards, which can be extremely valuable to families working through difficult times.

“Last year we helped over 500 people and gave back over $160,0000 to the community,” said Gordon Peratt, with CCC. “We are constantly fund-raising, so we are just thrilled when people approach us with opportunities like Wrestle 4 Hope. It’s a blessing. We can’t thank them enough.”

The organization is operated entirely by volunteers who receive no compensation whatsoever, Peratt said. The Club is willing to help anyone n their fight against cancer; individuals need only provide a copy of a pathology report (to eliminate the potential for illegitimate claims) to receive assistance.

As practically all of CCC’s referrals circulate by word-of-mouth, Mastin said the benefit fight is an opportunity to make people more aware of the group and its efforts.

“We are trying to get their name out there as well, because they do such a great community service for cancer patients and their families,” said Mastin.

Both Helphinstine and Mastin helped put together the WWC’s last benefit show in August of 2008 for “Ryan’s Sight Fight,” an effort to raise funds for medial treatment to help local youth Ryan Nolder see.

The event was so successful that WWC decided to establish a permanent fund-raising arm.

“We had such a good time doing that and it was so successful, that we decided to start Wrestle 4 Hope to try to give back the community as much as possible,” said WWC owner and “play-by-play man” Jeremiah Young.

When the company heard that organizers were interested in helping out the Cancer Care Club, Young said WWC jumped at the chance.

The WWC has been growing in popularity. Shows circulate throughout Southern Ohio, including a standing date every second Saturday at the Aberdeen Municipal Building that has a dedicated following.

Their shows feature a variety of fighters, from former WWE star Eugene and TNA star Shark Boy to local favorite “Astonishing” Aaron Williams, and the June 26 ticket should not leave fans disappointed.

“We want to fill the place,” said Peratt, “so we hope everyone will come out and support us.”

WWC also takes time for fans to meet and talk with wrestlers during show, Young said, and several raffles to benefit CCC will be held at the Wrestle 4 Hope event as well.

Tickets for the Wrestle 4 Hope event are $12 at the door, $10 if purchased in advance, $5 for ages seven and under. Advance tickets are available from any WWC representative and at various local businesses, including Active Care Chiropractic in Maysville and Dr. Day’s office (see Kelly Claypool).

Tickets and additional information can also be obtained by contacting Helphinstine at 606-407-3210 or Mastin at 606-584-7181.

For more information on the Cancer Care Club, visit the organization’s website at www.cancercareclub.com.

For more information on the World Wrestling Coalition, including scheduled and ticketing info, visit www.wwcweb.com.

The preceding article, written by Michael Arthur, appeared in the June 13, 2009 edition of The Ledger Independent.