Former WWE and ECW star Dawn Marie is launching "Wrestlers Rescue," which is a benefit program for retired wrestlers who need medical and financial assistance well after their careers are over in the ring. Dawn will be hosting a fundraiser/autograph session at the Radisson Hotel in Piscataway, N.J. on Sunday, Sept. 14 to kick-off the program.
"I would love nothing more than to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Dixie Carter on one side and Vince McMahon on the other for this cause," Dawn Marie told Josh Stewart of the Long Island (N.Y.) Press. "Whether that means a lot of help or a little bit of help, everything is welcome. I'm not here to create controversy; I'm not here to create bad press. I'm here to raise awareness for people who need help in the later season of life."
Dawn says the inspiration came from watching Iron Sheik at a fan convention in Chicago when it was obvious Sheik was not in good condition, to the point of needing to be wheeled to the restroom.
"I looked at it and it just hit me like a ton of bricks," Dawn said. "This is absolutely insane that this is happening. And nobody's speaking up. Nobody's doing anything. Nothing's changing. We have an epidemic in this industry, and the epidemic is this: You fight like hell to get a career, if you're fortunate to be one of the chosen few you have a career.
"And then as you're on your way down, you filter out and you go back to where you started on the indys to ride out your fame and name, and then 10, 15, 20, 30 years down the road, your body starts feeling the damages that were done during your fame and working past your prime because you have no other way of making money."
Dawn says she is initiating a five-year plan with the mission of the "Wrestlers Rescue" program to raise awareness for wrestlers with post-career issues and establish a financial advisory that active wrestlers can use to plan for the future. Reports Josh Stewart: "The long-range goal is getting enough alumni under the group's umbrella that they can purchase healthcare at discounted rates for active and retired performers and their families."
Ashley Massaro, Mick Foley, Torrie Wilson, J.J. Dillon, and Greg Valentine are among the stars scheduled for the Sept. 14 event.
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