Wrestling is a difficult sport. It is one of the oldest forms of combat in existence and goes back almost 15,000 years. As one of the oldest sports in the world, it has a lot to offer to those who put in the hard work to become wrestlers. The obvious benefit to wrestling is the overall gain in physical health but participating in a sport like wrestling also provides so much more. Kids who participate in wrestling learn about teamwork, sportsmanship, and personal responsibility. There is a nonprofit that uses wrestle to help teach kids valuable lessons in life. Beat the Streets is a 501(c)(3) uses wrestling to help the urban youth in all five boroughs of New York to achieve their full potential.
The mission statement of the organization states the following, “Beat the Streets Wrestling™ is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that uses wrestling as the vehicle through which young people achieve their full physical, cognitive, and social potential and develop into strong and effective individuals and members of the world. We work with middle and high schools in all five boroughs of New York City to provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life lessons of personal responsibility, physical fitness, education, and teamwork.”
The core values of the program focus on transforming the lives of kids in the inner city by teaching them the sport of wrestling. Beat the Streets wants to transform the lives of at risk youth by inspiring them to be better and greater through wrestling. They believe that this sport provides a learning experience that teaches the children emotional, physical and social health and well-being. The nonprofit wants to foster a healthy self-esteem in the children that will help set these children on a greater path in life.
Nonprofits without their board members would struggle to get the kind of visibility that is needed to get donations. Every nonprofit requires a solid board and leadership team to help bring awareness to the cause and mission of the nonprofit. Beat the Streets has an excellent board with a lot of high, powered savvy individuals who truly believe in the mission of Beat the Streets. Their latest board member, Scott Feinstein, brings a wealth of experience to the board. As a senior executive at the entertainment public relations firm 42West, Feinstein brings the ability to help elevate the organization’s visibility.
Scott Feinstein has only recently joined the board and because of his long breadth of experience in the entertainment world, he is working overtime to help bring awareness to the Beat the Streets Benefit that took place on Monday, May 6th at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. This annual benefit competition has been raising money for the program since 2010. This year’s benefit called, “Grapple at the Garden”, brought together some of the best athletes in the sport to compete for a good cause. Tickets for the event started at $30 and there were multiple tiers of donation options for those that wish to donate to the organization.
The first match up for the event was announced and James Green (Willingboro) and Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield) were the first to square off in the Team USA vs. NCAA Champions match at the Grapple in the Garden benefit. James Green is a four-time USA World Team member who earned NCAA All-America honors four times at the University of Nebraska and Ashnault is a Rutgers graduate senior who last month claimed the NCAA title at 149 pounds. These two top wrestlers at this venue drew a very large crowd with Green coming away as the victor.
Here are the results of the other lineups at the Grapple at the Garden.
122 pounds: Valentina Bailon (New York) pin. Elleny Seda (New York), 12-11 3:22.
138 pounds: JoJo Aragona (New Jersey) pin. Adam Busiello (New York), 6-0 4:06.
57 kilograms: Jack Mueller (Virginia) def. Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State), 10-0 2:29.
62 kilograms: Mallory Velte (Team USA) def. Linda Morais (Canada), 10-0 1:32.
70 kilograms: James Green (Team USA) def. Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers), 8-4 6:00.
97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder (Team USA) def. Nishan Randhawa (Canada), 15-1 2:57.
125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski (Team USA) def. Derek White (Oklahoma State), 9-0 6:00.
57 kilograms: Becka Leathers (Team USA) def. Diana Weicker (Canada), 10-6 6:00.
61 kilograms: Nick Suriano (Rutgers) def. Joe Colon (Team USA), 3-1 6:00.
86 kilograms: Drew Foster (Northern Iowa) def. David Taylor (Team USA), INJ 0:31.
92 kilograms: J’den Cox (Team USA) def. Patrick Brucki (Princeton), 13-0 0:58.
65 kilograms: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) def. Bajrung Punia (India), 10-8 6:00.
79 kilograms: Jordan Burroughs (Team USA) def. Ben Askren (UFC), 11-0 3:16.
42West, founded by Co-Chief Executive Officer Leslee Dart, actively encourages their team members to participate in nonprofits. The leadership team at 42West believes in supporting their community that they work and live in to help make it a better place. The firm donates a percentage of their annual profits to multiple advocacy and philanthropic groups. Currently, the firm donates to the American Cancer Society, amfAr AIDS research, Film Independent, NRCD, Padres Contra El Cáncer, and the American Red Cross. 42West does not currently contribute to Beat the Streets but they highly encourage their team members to volunteer their time for causes that they wish to support.
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