March 16, 2008
FAWA Membership:
This past weekend the FAWA hosted the Florida Folkstyle State Championships in Naples at Palmetto Ridge HS. The tournament was a resounding success. With over 649 entries, the tournament was conducted on 11 mats with the Pee Wees, Bantams, and Midgets done by 245 pm and all other age groups were done by 715pm.
My sincere thanks and congratulations to Mark Rosenbaum, David Parmenter, their wives and the Bear Wrestling Club for a job well done. Their efforts were simply incredible, and their planning and execution of the tournament second to none.
Our continued success, especially this weekend, is due to the growing number of FAWA volunteers stepping forward to assist in Florida's longest, largest and only not for profit wrestling organization. I want to thank all of our volunteers: the Board of Director members, John Kelly, John and De Heyman, Diana Gunkel, Joe Blasucci and the numerous others who generously helped.
Our officiating crew was outstanding, and I congratulate them as well for a job well done.
Even with the record number of entries this weekend, FAWA still fielded several national teams that traveled this weekend. We sent our first ever Woman's National Team to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We had some 20 ladies competing there, under the coaching of Lilly and Shawn Sheldon, and Todd Fleetwood. We also sent a high school and middle school team to the National Dixie Duals in Birmingham, Alabama. We have some 40 boys competing at that event.
As FAWA continues to grow, it is important that our volunteer base also continues to grow. Last year set a record with over 5,000 members. We will easily pass that number and are destined to set record membership numbers again this year.
I look forward to seeing all of you again at the upcoming FAWA events: Father Devine Open and Duals, the FAWA National Team Qualifier, the FAWA Freestyle, Greco Roman and Sombo State Championships, and the Sunshine State Games now hosted by FAWA.
Thank you to all who have supported Florida Amateur Wrestling and I look forward to many more years of our continued successes.
Thank you,
Bill Grant
Chairman, FAWA, Inc.
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Bill Grant
