Wrestling show a fundraiser for college basketball teams

Wrestlers will be hamming it up tonight to raise money for the Okanagan College basketball team.

The event is hosted by Invasion Championship Wrestling, which presents two wrestling spectacles each year to benefit local charities. Since October 2013, it has raised nearly $200,000.

Tonight’s show is a fundraiser for the men’s and women’s teams of the Okanagan College Coyotes.

World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler Rikishi will be competing in the event, along with professional wrestlers from the Okanagan and across the Pacific Northwest.

“It’s a family-friendly event,” said Invasion Championship Wrestling co-founder Mike Chisholm. “You never know what you’re going to expect with a wrestling show, but expect a lot of fun.”

The Coyotes need to raise $120,000 to $130,000 a year to run the programs and to travel to compete against other teams in their league.

“We’re built from sponsorships and people generously donating money, so we really have to reach out to the community,” said head coach and program director Dino Gini.

The wrestling card will take place tonight at Rutland Centennial Hall. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the event starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15 each or four for $50.

For more information, go online to eventbrite.ca and search for Invasion Championship Wrestling.