The Headlocks for Henry wrestling fundraiser raised more than $10,000 and approached $11,000 for 18-month-old Henry Emily and his family.
The total represented support from event sponsors, participating wrestlers, JCBank employees, Seymour businesses, friends, local residents, attending fans and Wrestling Headlines readers who contributed after learning about Henry’s fight against cancer.
Henry, the son of Samantha and Andrew Emily, is battling Grade 3 Type A metastatic ependymoma. Wrestling Headlines previously reported that all profits from the wrestling event and silent auction would be given to his family.
Headlocks for Henry was held Friday, August 14, at the Jackson Live & Event Center in Seymour, Indiana. Matthew Robinson, known to wrestling fans as Mortimer Blankenship III, organized the event after learning about Henry through his mother, Samantha, who works beside Roberts at JCBank.
“I work at JCBank in Seymour, Indiana. Right next to me is Samantha Emily, Henry’s mother. I was actually off the day that she left and went to the hospital with him because she just knew something was wrong. They found out what he had, and as soon as I found out, I knew I had the resources to do it. So why would I not?”
Robinson moved quickly after deciding to organize the fundraiser. He said he secured the venue and arranged for the wrestling company on the same day.
Supreme Wrestling owner Eric Draven and the owner of Jackson Live offered Robinson favorable terms that reduced the event’s expenses and allowed more of the money raised to reach Henry’s family.
“I got ahold of the owner of Supreme Wrestling, and I got ahold of the owner of Jackson Live. They both gave me the best deal that they possibly could.”
Those arrangements meant Robinson needed relatively few sponsors to cover the principal costs associated with presenting the event. Sponsorship support and Roberts’ own contribution covered the wrestling company and venue expenses within approximately one week.
“I knew that it would take very few sponsors to cover it, very few sponsors to cover both the wrestling company and the venue. I believe I had the venue and the wrestling company covered within a week of getting sponsors, and also personal funds that I put toward it as well.”
JCBank employees joined restaurants, shops and other businesses throughout Seymour in supporting the fundraiser.
“Lots of people from JCBank, lots of local community restaurants and shops here in Seymour came together, more than I can name, that just absolutely were awesome and chipped in.”
The support continued during the event. Wrestlers participated in the show and offered merchandise with a portion of the proceeds designated for Henry. Fans contributed through ticket purchases, the silent auction, merchandise and direct donations.
Friends, local residents and Wrestling Headlines readers also contributed. Those donations were combined with money already collected through the Headlocks for Henry account at JCBank, pushing the total beyond $10,000 and close to $11,000.
Robinson said he did not know how much had already been deposited into the JCBank account until shortly before he left the event.
“I’m shocked. Absolutely shocked by it. There had been an account set up at JCBank that people could make donations into called Headlocks for Henry. I didn’t know how much had been in there until tonight.”
Donations remain open for anyone who was unable to attend. Local supporters can visit a JCBank location and ask to contribute to Henry Emily. Those outside the area can contact Roberts through the Headlocks for Henry Facebook event page to arrange a contribution.
“Reach out to me, Mortimer Blankenship, on Facebook. I can send a Venmo link, a Cash App link or PayPal. Just reach out to me. I’ll make sure that it gets into the Emily family’s hands.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit WrestlingHeadlines.com and Tim Rose for the interview and transcription.
