Walt Whitman High School will host the fifth annual Vin Altebrando Outdoor Wrestling Festival Saturday, drawing competitors from around the area.
Altebrando, the beloved varsity wrestling coach for the Wildcats, had wanted to set up an outdoor tournament but with his sudden death from a rare autoimmune disease in 2018, others stepped forward to carry out the idea.
The tournament starts at 10 a.m. and will have competitors scattered on mats around on the football field.
The event is presented in partnership with the Wildcat Booster Club. This year, proceeds will go to Maggie’s Mission, which supports families with children diagnosed with pediatric cancers. In addition to the outdoor wrestling matches, the festival will feature a DJ, raffles, and food. In the past, the festival has had more than 300 wrestlers of all skill levels, male and female, competing for the Hammer Trophy.