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Badger wrestler needs our help

June 21, 2012
Badger standout Blaine Invernon can use the community's help as he pursues status as a world-class wrestler.
Blaine Invernon, 17, who'll be a senior at Bonners Ferry High School this fall, is spending much of his summer competing on the wrestling mat at places far from home, and a two-day benefit yard sale and auction has been set to help his family offset expenses.

Blaine has been flying to Boise every weekend to participate in the Olympic training camp in preparation for a Freestyle and Greco Nationals Tournament in Fargo, North Dakota, in July, and in August, he'll make his second European trip of the summer in August, traveling to Bulgaria, Turkey and Germany to train in some of the top wrestling clubs in the world.

In April, Blaine traveled to Bulgaria, where he won the freestyle tournament and received the Outstanding Wrestler Award in the Dinko Petrov Invitational.

He's won the Idaho State Titles in hiss class both his freshman and junior years as a Badger, he's a two-time All-American, a qualifier for the Pan-Am team and he's placed four times nationally in both Freestyle and Greco. While accomplishing so much ias an athlete, he's maintained his grades as an honor academic student through his high school career.

Needless to say, competing on the world stage carries a steep price tag, so local Blaine Invernon fans, including his Nana Leny Invernon and long-time Badger, Badger Mom and family friend Marianne Duarte, are busy preparing for a tour de force fundraiser at the Boundary County Fairgrounds dining hall Friday and Saturday, June 29-30.

They and their fellow fans are out and about gathering donations, be it cash, goods or services, for the combination yard sale, auction and more that will run from 8 a.m. until everyone's too tired to keep going on each of the two days.

"Blaine, as well as his entire family, appreciate so very much all of the help this wonderful town has dished out," Marianne said. "Please call if you have anything that you could donate to make all of this young man's travel expenses a bit easier! And don't forget to come to this event ... it's going to be a fun sale, with auction and raffle items all from local businesses!! This is NOT just your average yard sale!! Thanks sooo much!!!"

To donate or to help, you can call Leny at (208) 257-2514, or Marianne at (208) 267-7350, or you can reach Marianne through her Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/marianne.duarte.94.

For those who would like to make cash donations, an account has been set up in Blaine's name at Mt. West Bank, or you can mail them to Blaine Invernon Travel Fund, P.O. Box 664, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805.