Stand Up to Donate Theatrical Ticket Proceeds to Californian Wrestling Team

The following announcement is from Abdullah Abu-Mahfouz, director of Stand Up, in regards to the Stand Up theatrical event in Hanford CA on April 27th, 6:30 PM at the Metro 4 Cinemas.

When we, the team at Reel Nation Media, set out to get Stand Up in theaters, we had one goal that prioritized over all else:

to inspire wrestlers across the nation to dig deep within themselves for true success, to illuminate the value of hard work, and to promote, support, and fund wrestling teams and organizations.

We were blessed with the opportunity to fulfill this goal for the Hanford West Wrestling Team when their high school head coach, Lance Brown, messaged Stand Up on Facebook. He got in touch with the interest to bring Stand Up to a theater near him to promote wrestling in his area, and school.

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We took a few moments to talk on the phone to Coach Brown about his team. He’s a very experienced coach who has helped many league champions reach their their goals.

“Hanford West is like the middle child that’s overpassed on a lot of things,” Brown expressed.

The high school is in the middle of two wrestling super powers in the area: Hanford High, and Sierra Pacific.

“The school’s wrestling team has to fight for everything it needs. We have to really work hard to get the kids onto the mats. Though like in the sport of wrestling, the harder you work, the better the reward- just like the film (Stand Up),” says Coach Brown.

Even though Hanford West’s program can be considered an underdog in the area, Coach Brown says they have promising years to come:

“We have an upcoming great team. A few wrestlers can definitely make it to states in the next 4 years. We already have had 37 divisional qualifiers go through in the past.”

One of the biggest challenges that the team faces is their decaying wrestling mats. Lance told us that the two mats they have have been in use for over 20 years, and are both beyond repair. Whenever he has asked for funds to replace the mats, he was told that they have to find funding himself.

“The culture of this area expects to fundraise. The district giving to such causes is not high on their agenda. Certain sports are just not as big as others, and unfortunately wrestling is one of those sports…” says Brown.

That is why Stand Up is offering all of its ticket proceeds from the Stand Up Theatrical Screening in Hanford to the Hanford West Wrestling Team for new wrestling mats!

The screening will be at the Metro 4 Cinemas on April 27th at 6:30 PM for this special one night screening. After the film, there will be an inspirational talk from a surprise legendary Californian wrestler that no one can spare to miss. Tickets can only be bought on Tugg at https://www.tugg.com/events/stand-up-igdf before April 20th. The event has to fill in 83 seats for it to actually happen.

If you’re not able to make it to the event, you can choose to donate to the team through the contributions on the bottom of the page at https://www.tugg.com/events/stand-up-igdf. You can earn special rewards like the special edition DVD of Stand Up.

We hope you join us on our mission to boost the Hanford West Wrestling Team on their path to #DefyDefeat! Let’s give back to wrestling, and come together for this awesome event. See you at the movies!!!

Keep it Reel!

Watch the Stand Up Trailer Here:

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SLIDE SHOW: CD East Wrestling is Still "Standing Up" STRONG!

It's been 3 years since I started filming Stand Up, Reel Nation Media's first feature doc, with Cevon, Joe, and the CD East Wrestling Team. Wrestler's have come and gone, but the team's heart has stayed the same. That heart is to always defy defeat by keeping on wrestling strong through victory or defeat. As Coach Book says in the film, "In wrestling, it's just not on the mat that you can win, it's what you learn from it."

This year I had the great pleasure to revisit the team and even volunteer coach mid-way through the season. I worked alongside with student team manager, Jalyn Smith, to take photos throughout the season! Check out the new and old faces! Interested on what's been going on since the movie was filmed? Read on below the slideshow.

Coach Book is now an assistant coach, making Coach Woodall now head coach. Practices have not changed as much though, because their methods are not too different. Overall the team did really well with a 9-7 record by the end of the season, and placing one wrestler to districts, Tyler Moyer (2017). Tyler was present during the filming of Stand Up, but he wasn't present in the film due to an injury that prevented his wrestling.

Cevon, moving on to being a junior, is doing extremely well at Old Dominion. His GPA is high and his future shines bright. He has yet to get on the wrestling mat competitively again though. I talked to his father at the Harrisburg Stand Up screening, and I was told that, despite the peer pressure on him to wrestle, Cevon has other priorities (that I don't want to spoil yet). His father has no doubt that wrestling has played a huge part in making him the excelling student and person he is today.

Joe is now moving on to his third year in the Marines. We still stay in touch time to time, but it's not as easy to measure his progress as it is for Cevon because of the nature of being in the military. Plus I'm just a measly civilian who doesn't know much. Joe being in the Marines and leading a great life with it is a testament to his character on its own though. I see his family often at wrestling matches for his little brother who is kicking butt on the junior level.

EDIT: I found out from Joe that his goal is to fulfill 20 years in the Marines. Proud of of him!

Mahlon is now at the University of Pitt, doing great things for sure. Dom is just graduating from East! Congrats! Jordan is now working professionally and being the awesome guy he is. I also saw him at the Harrisburg screening. Eric, Coach Book's son, will be moving on to his senior year, hopefully making it to states in 2018. He made it to districts in 2016, but fell short in 2017 due to his weight class' crazy state-qualifier populated sectional bracket.

It was such a good year with the East High Wrestling team. It made me miss wrestling, miss working on Stand Up, and miss my wrestling family even more. Screening Stand Up in Harrisburg was one of the highest moments of my life. Seeing the team celebrate its own spirit and accomplishments by cheering and crying by the credits was beautiful to witness.

The BEST wrestling family ever. Love you, CD East Wrestling! Way to Stand Up!

Find out more about the CD East Wrestling team, watch Stand Up, and #DefyDefeat on the movie's web page at: www.reelnationmedia.com/standup.

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