Youth

Centennial High School Junior Raises Funds through PIN to WIN

At Centennial High School (CHS), wrestling season is not just about pinning your opponent or winning your match it’s about helping to eliminate substandard housing and homelessness in Howard County. In 2006, then sophomore, Dan LeRoy,(pictured at left with Executive Director, David Roura during a wrestling match at Centennial) a member of the Habitat for Humanity Club at CHS, established a fundraiser called PIN TO WIN, that would go on to raise over $3,500 dollars in two years, more than half of which will be donated to Habitat for Humanity of Howard County.

This year, PIN TO WIN which is held during wrestling season, offered students, teachers, friends and family members the opportunity to sponsor Dan and his   fellow wrestlers’ victories throughout the season by pledging a certain amount of money based on the number of pins, wins or pins and wins combined. This season, PIN TO WIN raised over $2000 that will be split equally between Habitat for Humanity of Howard County and the Matthew W. Watson Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of Maryland, College Park. Matthew Watson was a friend of Dan’s and was tragically killed in a car accident on May 5th, 2007. Friends and family set up a scholarship fund to honor Matthew’s memory and help other CHS graduates attend the University of Maryland.

Dan not only raised over $2000 this year, but placed first in the county, finished 2nd at the 3A/4A regional tournament and was a State Qualifier. His final record was 35-8 with 20 pins. Dan also received the Glenn Devane Outstanding Wrestler award during the county tournament which is a testament of his hard work and dedication on and off the mat.

Dan would like to thank his coaches for their continued support in this effort, his brother Jamie a JV wrestler who will co-partner with him on next year’s PIN TO WIN, and the CHS drill team who helped with the final collection this year and is joining the PIN TO WIN planning team next year!