California USA Wrestling to Host Freestyle and Greco-Roman State Wrestling Championships and Blood Drive at Selland Arena in Fresno, California

Fresno, Calif. – June 1, 2011 – California USA Wrestling is not only hosting the Kids Freestyle and Greco-Roman State Championship, sponsored by Clinch Gear, June 3-5, 2001, but also a blood drive with the Central California Blood Center.
 
The Central California Blood Center (CCBC) is the sole provider of blood and blood products for the 31 hospitals in Fresno, Tulare, Madera, Kings and Mariposa Counties and must collect between 5,000 to 6,000 pints of blood a month to meet the needs of our Valley community.
 
As an organization with strong community ties and a statewide presence, California USA Wrestling wants to support the county’s need for blood donations. The state tournaments are an excellent platform to recruit blood donors as over 1,000 wrestlers and their families participate in the weekend event. The drive will take place on Friday, June 3, 2011 during the weigh-ins from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
 
The Kids Freestyle and State Championship is a regional qualifier for the top eight in each age group and weight. The Cadet and Junior Boys Greco – Roman State Championship is national team qualifier. The tournament, held over three days, hosts approximately 1,000 young wrestlers as they contend for national team placement. Weigh-ins and registration is Friday, June 3, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The tournament begins on Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 a.m. For details about the state championship, visit www.ca-usaw.org.
 
Both state championship tournaments have historically drawn a large number of wrestlers, supporters and fans. These athletes are young but highly competitive and committed to their sport. It is not only an opportunity to witness the strength of spirit, determination and discipline that young kids employ to be successful, but also a chance to save a life by donating blood. For more information on donating blood at the California USA Wrestling State Championship, please visit www.donateblood.org/DonateBlood.htm
 
About California USA Wrestling: California USA Wrestling is a non-profit organization committed to the success and health of their athletes and dedicated to the promotion and preservation of collegiate and international styles of amateur wrestling. As the official California affiliate of USA Wrestling, the national governing board for international-style amateur wrestling in the United States, the club is responsible for the organization and execution of sanctioned USA Wrestling events in the state. California USA Wrestling educates the community about the styles of wrestling and the value of being involved in the sport. They strive to provide fun, exciting and well-planned events and improve the quality of California wrestling at the competitive level. For more information, visit www.ca-usaw.org.
 
About Clinch Gear™: Founded in 2003, Clinch Gear™ is a leading manufacturer of performance sports apparel with a particular focus on amateur wrestling and mixed martial arts. Clinch Gear is led by two-time US Greco-Roman Olympian and two-time MMA world champion Dan Henderson.  Clinch Gear maintains a singular focus on product innovation, consistently seeking to elevate industry standards for fabrics and fit. Clinch Gear is headquartered in San Diego, California, and is part of the Collective Licensing International portfolio of youth lifestyle and performance brands including Airwalk®, Above The Rim®, Vision Street Wear®, STRIKEFORCE™, Sims®, Lamar® and LTD®, World Snowboarding Championships™ and Hind® brands.  For more information, visit www.clinchgear.com.
 
About Central California Blood Center:  The Central California Blood Center (CCBC) was established in 1954 to help hospitals and doctors meet their patients’ need for blood. It is a not-for-profit, self-supporting organization, governed by a volunteer board of directors comprised of community leaders in healthcare, business and law. The Central California Blood Center responds to the community’s increasing need for blood donors; 74,000 pints of blood are needed to meet the needs of patients throughout the San Joaquin Valley. This translates into a recruitment effort of at least 250 donors each weekday. CCBC has six bloodmobiles and five blood centers throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Services also include Hemapheresis donations of platelets and plasma, therapeutic apheresis, red cell reference and compatibility lab, autologous and directed donor and bone marrow registration services. These services and more make the Central California Blood Center one of the most progressive and diverse blood centers in the nation. For more information about the Central California Blood Center, please visit www.donateblood.org.