What started as just a cool looking wrestling singlet (a sleeveless athletic shirt) has turned into something far much greater for a Cherokee High School varsity wrestler.
For the past month and a half, D.J. Mele, a sophomore at the high school, has been wrestling in a special singlet that promotes awareness for autism and a special wrestling tournament that raises money for autism research.
Mele frequently trades for interesting singlets online, and one night, while surfing the Web, he found the blue singlet, adorned with puzzle pieces, and the words “Wrestle Against Autism” prominently featured on the front.
He asked if he could buy it from the wrestler, but the athlete said that it wasn’t for sale. He directed Mele to the national Wrestle Against Autism tournament held each year in Ohio.
It was too cool of a singlet to pass up, so he bought one from the national tournament and quickly found people wanted to know the story behind the shirt and the organization it promoted.
“It started when I was at a tournament wearing it, and a lady in the crowd asked me if she could take a picture of the singlet because her best friend’s daughter had autism,” he said. “That’s when I realized I could gain attention about the cause and raise money for the tournament.”
He went on to wear the singlet to three national tournaments — War at the Shore in Wildwood, MAWA Regionals in Salisbury Md., and the MAWA Eastern Nationals — and got so much attention from the uniform that he contacted the organizer of Wrestle Against Autism, Jeff Sitler, who runs the tournament each year in Ohio.
In its fifth year, the Wrestle Against Autism tournament started with a group of high school wrestling officials who were looking to give something back to the community. The tournament has grown to include both college and high school officials throughout Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
He urged the athlete to set up a website, and with the help of his father, D.J. has since raised more than $1,500 for the national tournament.
“It’s such a great cause. Anyone who wants to donate any amount can help,” Mele said.
Mele can’t wear the singlet when he’s wrestling for Cherokee High School, but he plans to wear it in national tournaments for the next two years each summer, he said.
The sophomore plans to wrestle at the varsity level for the next two seasons as well. He’s coming off a disappointing sophomore season where he dislocated his shoulder and missed the majority of the team’s matches.
Interested in donating to the cause and for the Wrestle Against Autism tournament? Check out Mele’s dedicated Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DjWrestlingAgainstAutism.
