Algonquin Wrestlers Support Veterans Shelter

Bring toothpaste and shampoo to Algonquin Regional High School varsity wrestling home meets, starting Wednesday night.

Helping local veterans is among the team's goals this season.

The Veterans Inc. veterans shelter in Worcester will receive soap, shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste that the Tomahawks are collecting during their home meets, starting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday against Tyngsboro.

The Algonquin wrestlers also will wear special camouflage singlets this season, said senior Alex Mazzola, who co-captains the team with senior Joe Cozzolino.

"In the past, many former Algonquin wrestlers have gone into the military after their high school career, ranging from the Army and Marines to military academies such as Norwich and West Point," Mazzola said during an e-mail interview.

"This sparked the idea for me and joe to do a camo singlet. We thought it would look awesome on the mat to have a singlet no one had ever seen before. We then realized we could do some sort of charity along with the singlets to give back to the community and help promote our sport."

Mazzola said he's unsure how the community will respond to the drive, "but personally i'm hoping to to fill the donation bin two to three times with toiletries."

"Our team has the utmost respect for veterans, they risked their lives for us and our freedom. The least we can do is give back something to them and help them in a time of need," he said.
"We really want people to help and support this charity, but we also want to send a message to other high school sports teams to give back to the community somehow."