Ticket info: www.jello-wresting.org, 520-628-7223, sponsored by Southern Arizona Aids Foundation.

Saturday April 27, 2013

NEW LOCATION: The Slaughterhouse 1102 W. Grant Road

3:00pm Gates Open/Pre-Event Games & Festivities

4:00pm Wrestling & Live Auction Begins

8:00pm Event Ends

The 26th Annual Reno Gannon Memorial Jell-O Wrestling Extravaganza and Benefit Auction will be held on Saturday April 27, 2013 at The Slaughterhouse, located at 1102 West Grant Road, just east of the I-10 access ramp.

Teams of wrestlers raise funds to wrestle in a pit of Jell-O, often with extraordinary costumes and characters. Between wrestling matches our Drag Diva Hostesses run a live auction featuring a variety of unique items selected to please the crowd.

I’ve seen regular wrestling, but never mud wrestling or this stranger version of Jello wrestling. But check it out on April 27 for this benefit. I reported on it last year with background on founder the late Reno Gannon (click here).

Who doesn’t love jello? But in wrestling? This event benefitng Southern Arizona Aids Foundation (SAAF) is in its 25th year, and counting…so it must be successful. How did I miss the first 24 matches?

Teams of wrestlers raise funds to wrestle in a pit of Jell-O, often with extraordinary costumes and characters. Between wrestling matches our Drag Diva Hostesses run a live auction featuring a variety of unique items selected to please the crowd.

For all that jello fun, check it out on May 12, 3 p.m. pre-party, with the jello wrestling beginning at 4 p.m. till 8 p.m., all at Kennedy Fiesta Park, 3700 S. La Cholla.

Buy advance tickets online at $20 at a discount (website www.jello-wrestling.org), or $25 at the door/gate.

History of this event from their website:

In 1987, Reno Gannon, a bartender at Tucson bar Rumor Hazzit, returned from a vacation in Mexico with an exciting new idea for a fundraising event. The concept? Jell-O Wrestling!

Reno spoke with Rumor Hazzitt owner Bruce Peg and his management staff of Peter Sitig and Michael Bennett about putting on the event as a fundraiser to help people living with HIV/AIDS. Bruce, Peter, and Michael liked the idea and organized the first Jell-O Wrestling Extravaganza in 1987. Shanti, one of the 3 local AIDS Service Organizations that would later merge to form the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF), was the recipient of event proceeds.

Reno was an energetic, fun-loving, intelligent man in his early 20s when he brought this idea to the community. Committed to doing something to help, he and the owners and management of Rumor Hazzit made the event a reality. At age 23, Reno died from AIDS. The year following his death, the event became a memorial to him.

Reno’s legacy of hope and dedication to raising public awareness about HIV/AIDS continues through this wonderful event. In the past 9 years alone, Jell-O Wrestling has raised more than $260,000 for the programs and services of SAAF.

Thinking about this jello wrestling inspired me to make some lime jello (for consumption) this morning.