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The National Football League and Major League Baseball have done a lot over the years to help retired players with physical and emotional issues once their careers have come to a close. Their work is well-known. What about the world of professional wrestling?

 

Dawn Psaltis Damatta of Woodbridge, better known to World Wrestling Entertainment and Extreme Championship Wrestling fans as Dawn Marie, has made it her priority to help those struggling to meet their everyday needs through a charitable foundation, Wrestlers Rescue.

 

Following her release from the WWE in 2005, Dawn took some time away from the business to raise a family. Her foundation first began as a way to raise money for Dawn’s sister-in-law, who is recovering from a neural dystrophy.

Dawn also “missed the business and my friends and started to make appearances," she said. “I was with the Iron Sheik at Wizard World in Chicago in 2007 and watched him fall asleep at the table where he was signing autographs," she said. "He was in a wheelchair after having a double knee replacement with no insurance coverage and my eyes teared up. I asked myself, How do we change this business in a positive way?"

Wrestlers who currently wrestle for WWE receive health insurance for their in-ring injuries, but there was a need for a secondary insurance program that would help a wrestler who got hurt when not competing. Mark Bodek of Washington DC helps Dawn with the updating of posting, pictures, appearances and other information regarding news about Wrestlers Rescue on her My Space and Facebook websites. "I'm very proud of her," said Bodek. “The foundation is growing each and every day with the publicity that it is generating.”

 

Eric Wade of Texas is also involved with the healthcare process of Wrestlers Rescue, brokering the various insurance products that the foundation makes available. Donations from each policy sold go back to the foundation.

 

"Any money paid back to the association will be as a charitable donation, and not based on the number of people who enroll," said Wade, who teaches ethics at financial firms including Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch.

Tammy Sytch, who grew up in Old Bridge and is known to the wrestling world as Sunny, has a big role in Wrestlers Rescue as lead talent agent for their booking agency.

The first event for Wrestlers Rescue was an autograph show and dinner hosted in Piscataway in September 2008. Many veteran wrestlers and managers were in attendance, including Missy Hyatt, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, Torrie Wilson, Nikolai Volkoff, J.J. Dillon, Brutus Beefcake, Captain Lou Albano (who recently passed away), and others.

The organization is holding a five-day Caribbean cruise in July 2010, from Tampa through the Cayman Islands and Cozumel, Mexico. Wrestlers appearing on the cruise include Traci Brooks, Sunny, Diamond Dallas Paige, Scott Hall, Missy Hyatt, Victoria, Lacey Von Erich, and many others. Tragically, Umaga who was supposed to be on the cruise died of a heart attack on Friday, December 4. He was only 36 years old.

Wrestlers Rescue is also partnering with a full-service travel agency Rovia, LLC to receive a 6% donation on sales through their website back to Wrestlers Rescue.

Currently Wrestlers Rescue is using funds to pay for treatment for chemotherapy for “Doctor Death,” Steve Williams. Williams was supposed to be making an appearance with Dawn Marie at Wrestlefest at the Radisson Hotel in Carteret on December 12, but he suffered a recurrence of throat cancer. He was supposed to give a lucky fan the winning raffle ticket.

 

Williams recently had a stoma inserted during reconstructive throat surgery. The foundation is looking to get enough money through donations and various fundraising activities to purchase a hands free voice box to help Williams communicate. (Williams passed away late in December 2009. - Ed.)

 

Diamond Dallas Paige, a native of Point Pleasant and former WCW World Champion, was asked by Dawn Marie during September of 2008 to participate in her charity. "I've had a lot of my ring wear and other memorabilia auctioned off to help benefit Wrestlers Rescue,” said Paige. "What impresses me most about her is that a mother of two is doing this out of the goodness of her heart.”