Vermillion youth wrestling club asks board to waive facility fees for long-running tournament

The Vermillion Wrestling Club asked the Vermillion School District 13-1 Board of Education on Feb. 10 for a waiver of facility fees for its annual youth wrestling tournament held on Presidents’ Day weekend.

Justin Culver, vice president of the Vermillion Wrestling Club, told the board the tournament has been held on that weekend for “at least, maybe up to two decades” and drew about 450 youth participants last year. Culver credited high-school custodians Christina Jensen and Shannon Farmer for preparing the facility and helping clean up, and said many parents, alumni and volunteers staff the event.

Culver described the event logistics — multiple mats across the main and auxiliary gymnasiums, computerized scoring at each station and about 60 matches per table — and said the club covers custodian costs but was asking the district to waive rental fees for the facility. He identified the club’s leadership as Casey Mart (president) and Jenny French (secretary-treasurer).

The board discussed the request during the meeting’s new-business items. There was no separate, recorded roll-call vote specifically on the waiver in the public transcript; the board later approved a bundled motion to adopt items a through g, which included the school facilities lease agreement item. That bundled motion was moved by Mark (board member) and seconded by Carol (board member); the voice vote passed.

Ending: Club representatives invited board members and community members to attend the event, which Culver said typically finishes cleanup by midafternoon and is run by a large volunteer base.