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10/11/2017 08:30 AMLast year, Ferrara Elementary School student Lynette Ely was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer. Having known the young girl and her family for about six years, Michael Banks proposed staging a wrestling fundraiser to help pay for her medical bills.
Michael says that once her parents told her what he wanted to do, she was ecstatic, as she’s a wrestling fan. However, Lynette, who has been diagnosed as cancer-free, didn’t want the money to be raised for her.
She had a better idea.
“She came back and told me herself—this little eight-year-old girl told me herself that she wants the money to go to [a group that] helped her while she was in the special unit,” Michael says.
That group is Mikey’s Way Foundation, a non-profit organization that donates technology such as tablets, iPods, and other electronic devices to children who are battling cancer.
“When you’re in the unit, you have to leave the outside world behind you. It’s no way for anyone to be, and these are all kids,” Michael says, “So I absolutely love and I approve a hundred percent what they’re doing.”
Michael’s promotion, WrestleJam, in collaboration with the Ferrara School will present a live wrestling fundraiser in honor of Lynette on Saturday, Nov. 4. The event takes place at Ferrara, located at 22 Maynard Road in East Haven, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the event starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and $10 for kids age 12 and under.
Per Lynette’s wishes, a portion of every ticket sold will be donated to Mikey’s Way Foundation.
“I absolutely commend her for passing up this money and wanting to give it to someone else,” Michael says.
Michael says he’s been a wrestling fan ever since he was a kid, and wanted to be a wrestler as a kid, but says promoting wrestling shows “kind of happened by accident.”
In 2004, he was in the process of graduating from what he calls “an alternative, magnet” type of high school. He says he was in love with what that school was able to do for him and wanted to see what he could do to help the school raise money, so he suggested holding a wrestling event at the school to raise money.
Michael collaborated with another local company at the time, and got to run his first wrestling show alongside them.
“During the whole production part of it, I fell in love,” Michael says, “I no longer wanted to be a wrestler, I wanted to promote shows.”
He kept the event going, and with his promotion’s name getting out there more and the reputation increasing for the better, Michael stuck with it.
“Now that WrestleJam is now known in Connecticut, I’m in a position to help people who really need it,” Michael says, “Hence me approaching the Ely family with this...Let’s use our powers for good.”
It means a lot to him knowing that he’s doing something that benefits people who deserve some extra assistance. He never thought as a kid that he could be hosting wrestling events to help anybody.
It’s never easy to organize a wrestling event, he says, adding that it creates a lot of pressure and stress. He’s faced some obstacles, including some parents’ perception of wrestling as very violent and who don’t want their kids to watch it. He also mentioned the Wrestling for Autism fundraiser in East Haven in April whose organizer allegedly took funds intended for charity.
Despite those difficulties, Michael says the stress is worth it because of the cause he’s promoting the event for.
“I will literally stay stressed if I have to, to help this little girl and to help these kids get these electronic items,” Michael says.
The event on Nov. 4 will be a family friendly, all-ages show, with notable names such as former WWE star Jack Swagger and the British Bulldog’s son (currently billed as Davey Boy Smith, Jr.) participating. Michael says that both have been helpful working with him and support what the show is about.
There will also be a 50/50 raffle, and wristbands or “charity bracelets,” custom made for cancer support will be available at the event. Half of the profits from the sale of the bracelets will be donated to a good cause related to cancer.
Michael says he hopes there’s a sell-out, “packed house” at the event, adding that he wants to raise as much money as possible for Mikey’s Way, and he wants everyone who attends to have fun.
“We’re coming to East Haven with a purpose, and that purpose is to help the fight on childhood cancer,” Michael says.
For more information on Mikey’s Way, visit www.mikeysway.org. For more information on WrestleJam, visit www.facebook.com/wrestlejam1.