Watonga Lanes to Hold Fundraiser for Wrestlers

WATONGA – The Watonga Lanes bowling alley is hosting a fundraiser on Friday, May 19, to help two Watonga wrestlers attend a national competition.

Ernesto Duenez and Stoney Hutson qualified for a national competition in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling this spring. “They were lucky enough to go to the tournaments and qualify through a qualifying process,” wrestling Coach Grant Williams said. The 2022 US Marine Corps Junior &16U Nationals is in Fargo, North Dakota, starting July 15.

Now, Duenez and Hutson need support for airfare, accommodations, food and other expenses for Fargo.

“The fundraising is for the cost that goes with being on the national team such as hotels for the week that they’re there, gear, food, travel, stuff like that,” Williams said.

The fundraiser “Bowling for Pins” will be Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. Anyone who can’t make it Friday can still support Ernesto and Stoney on a special GoFundMe organized by Williams. The GoFundMe can be found on the Watonga Wrestling Facebook page and on GoFundMe as “Donate to help Ernesto and Stoney go to Fargo!”

A Facebook event created about the fundraiser by Watonga Lanes says the bowling alley will donate all proceeds from the evening to help with the boys’ expenses.