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GOFUNDME CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES TO ASSIST IN THE RESCUE & RETURN OF ITEMS FROM ABANDONED PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME IN WICHITA, TEXAS - HOW YOU CAN HELP RESCUE HISTORY FROM BEING LOST FOREVER

By Mike Johnson on 2022-06-21 18:56:00

As I have previously covered here on PWInsider.com, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Wichita Falls, Texas shutted and was abandoned during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving a lot of questions and concerns.  You can read my initial article here:

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME?

As well as my recent follow-up here:

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME?  A GUARDIAN ANGEL, THAT'S WHAT

As I wrote several weeks ago, Lori Hurst, who has been around the professional wrestling world in Texas dating back to the World Class Championship Wrestling era, has been working with the building that was housing the PWHF to get the items in the collection back to where they originally belonged.   Hurst is doing this on her time off from her full-time job, traveling several hours to the Hall and undertaking this herself, to prevent the items from being lost or damaged beyond whatever may have already potentially happened to them.  In one case, Hurst removed items from a room, including a number of irreplaceable, one of kind ring gear and outfits, just a day before that room flooded.

A number of items that originated in The Museum's former home of Amsterdam, NY have been returned by Hurst to the PWHF's spiritual successor, The International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, which will soon open its doors in Albany, NY at the MVP Arena.  The IPWHF has launched a GoFundMe Campaign designed to assist in the continued extrication and return of these artifact from Texas to their rightful owners as to financially assist Hurst, who as noted above, is doing all of the work free of charge and at her own cost, just to insure these items and the collection aren't lost forever.

The official link to the GoFundMe Campaign can be found here.

Official details on the Campaign:

 

Over the past several weeks, a video was shared on social media which demonstrated the deplorable conditions that the artifacts entrusted to the PWHF (Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame) were in at the storage location in Witchita Falls, Texas. Lori Hurst decided that intervention was necessary and has been able to access the memorabilia. As a volunteer, and with assistance of few others, Lori has undertaken the herculean task of returning the artifacts to their rightful owners. After contacting the former members of the PWHF Board of Trustees (from the New York museum) for guidance, many historic artifacts have been returned to New York and will be displayed for fans in a museum. However, the work is costly and labor intensive – and we know there is a short timeline.

We are fundraising specifically to support the efforts to preserve the historic artifacts of the PWHF, and ensure that Lori and her team have the resources needed to complete this work. Money raised will be used to help with shipping, storage, preservation, labor, travel, materials, supplies, and administrative costs relating to this initiative. A large truck and storage facility will be necessary for the removal of some items, and without financial support this simply cannot take place. Please consider a donation to assist with the preservation of the historic artifacts left at the PWHF.

Meanwhile, the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame prepares for their second annual Hall of Fame Induction ceremony in Albany, NY, the weekend of 8/26.  For details on that, visit www.prowrestlinghall.org.

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