30th Annual Bill Dies Memorial Wrestling Tournament Akron, OH. January 4, 2017 - The 30th Annual Bill Dies Memorial Wrestling Tournament will be held on January 13-14th, 2017, at the Firestone High School Community Learning Center. The tournament started in 1984 as a 16-team Summit County Invitational, and has grown exponentially ever since. This year, Firestone will host 48 teams from across the State in its newly built gymnasium. This is a predominately public school tournament, with 47 of the teams hailing from public schools and one private school, Hoban High School, which has participated since the tournament?s inception. In 1988, the Summit County Invitational was renamed the Bill Dies Memorial Wrestling Tournament in honor of, and in memory of, William Dies, co-founder of the Ohio Youth Wrestling Association and a long-time booster of wrestling in Summit County, Ohio. Although he had ten children of his own, Bill Dies always made time for anything that involved kids. He was heavily involved with local youth sports for nearly 40 years, and would no doubt still be, but for his untimely death in 1987. Bill has been honored many times for his contribution in helping to mold and strengthen the character of the young people of our community. Most notably, in 1981, he received the George Boss Youth Award from the Touchdown Club of Akron. In 1987, the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame honored him with the Andy Palich Memorial Award. And, in 1989, the Ohio Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame recognized the entire Dies Family for their commitment and dedication the sport of wrestling. The tournament is run solely by volunteers, consisting mostly of Bill Dies? relatives and friends. The Akron Public Schools considers this a premier sporting event and helps in various aspects with the event. Schedule of events: Preliminaries start Friday, January 13th at 4:30 pm. The tournament continues on Saturday, January 14th at 9:30 am, with semi-finals starting approximately at noon and finals at roughly 6:00 pm. Parade of Champions and Presentation will start prior to finals and fans are asked to be seated by 5:45 pm. Tickets are $8. Website www.BillDies.com Media Contact: Steve Dies, 330-472-5370 or steve@dieselectric.com Mike Dies (330) 807-3495 or mikedies@wabl.org 643 East Tallmadge Ave | Akron, OH 44310 | 330-253-9959 | Fax: 330-253-9972 www.billdies.com BILL DIES MEMORIAL WRESTLING TOURNAMENT Due to Firestone having classes until 3:30 we are asking teams to enter the building at door 15 which is on the west side of the new building. Drive to the same address as past years, 333 Rampart, and walk down the sidewalk to door 15. Cars and especially buses will then go to the parking lot at the church, 1670 Shatto. There will be a shuttle running the entire tournament. At 4 pm the front doors will be used for entrance. The new building and gym are now open! The school now faces Castle Blvd. The New address is 470 Castle Blvd, Akron, OH 44313 The new parking lot will be open with limited spaces available. There will be additional offsite parking at The First Baptist Church at 1670 Shatto Ave. with shuttle buses to Firestone. The buses will be running all day on both tournament days. TEAM BUSES: Parking for all team buses is at The First Baptist Church at 1670 Shatto Ave. Please drop your wrestlers off at Firestone (DO NOT PULL IN THE PARKING LOT. YOU WON`T BE ABLE TO TURN AROUND) and then go directly to First Baptist Church. The shuttle will take you back to Firestone and will be running all day on both tournament days. Travel Directions to the Bill Dies Tournament From the North I-77 South to Exit 138/Ghent Rd. Turn left/south onto Ghent Rd. from off ramp. Turn left onto W. Market near Summit Mall when Ghent Rd. ends. Go 2.2 miles and turn left on N. Pershing Ave. Right on Wiltshire Rd and at the light go straight onto Fairfax Rd. Follow Fairfax around school where it will bear right onto Castle Blvd. From the South I-77 North and take exit 125-A, continuing on 8 North Take Ramp onto Fountain St. towards Carrol St/Buchtel Ave for 0.6 mi. Left on Market St. and continue onto W. Market St. for approx. 4 miles Right on N. Hawkins for 0.5 mi, Right onto Fairfax Rd. Follow Fairfax around school where it will bear right onto Castle Blvd. From the East I-76 West to 8 North and follow directions from the South From the West I-76 East to 8 North and follow directions from the South