Springdale Junior-Senior High School marching band members will likely be playing the swan song to one of its biggest fundraisers Friday.
Keystone State Wrestling Alliance superstars return to the home of the Dynamos, the Donald C. McGhee Fieldhouse, for Springdale Slam 6.
It will be the end of two eras.
KSWA Owner Bobby Orkwis of Oakmont in January announced the company’s closure in December after 25 years.
He talked about the pending end and what participating in community events like Springdale Slam meant to him and the talent.
“Well, 25 years is a good run especially for an independent wrestling organization,” Orwkis said Wednesday. “It just seems like the right time to shutter everything. None of us are getting any younger. Can’t stop Father Time.
“Nothing special is planned, at least from our side, until the end of the year. The folks at Springdale can expect the same thing (as other Slams). Great entertainment. Family entertainment. Good fun. Accessible wrestlers.
“It’s good to be back in Springdale for the sixth year, but it’s sad in a way that we’re going to be there for the last time,” Orwkis said. “It’s been part of what we’ve done (at) all these venues year in and year out. It’s sad to go to these places for the last time.”
Susan Blanchflower’s term as Springdale Band Parent Association president will also come to a close this school year after her son Aidan, senior drum major, graduates.
“I’m excited to share my last year as president and volunteering at the high school with the wrestlers 25th anniversary and final year,” said Blanchflower, who was named president and Slam coordinator in 2021.
“I can’t wait to see what the next chapter will bring and also very excited to see what our new board members will do and how high they will lift up our band, because the sky is the limit.
”The students with the Springdale Marching Band are all incredible. Yes, I’m a bit biased, but it is honestly true.”
Blanchflower on Tuesday thanked one of KSWA’s founding talent “Face of Pittsburgh” Lou Martin for all his help over the years in making the Slam a success.
“Lou’s been wonderful to work with,” she said. “We discuss different ideas and the best ways to raise money off of each other. It’s been a pleasure.”
There are 43 students in the band this year. Students and boosters will be working concession stands and collecting tickets Friday.
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Other activities include 50-50 and basket raffles. Profits help offset costs for band festivals and equipment.
“Not only a big part, but the best part of what we do is fundraisers,” Orwkis said. “We’re very community oriented. We pride ourselves on being that way. It’s great to get involved with the communities and help out like we do.”
Student perspective
Student Zoe Bock, 13, saw the show last year when she was in seventh grade. She’s excited to see the show again.
“I just saw a bunch of guys slamming each other around, that’s what I saw,” Zoe said. “My favorite part of the show was probably hanging out with my friend, Masyn.
“I hope I see more people attending, especially ‘cause it’s the last show and I want everything that’s best for the band. More money from fundraising, stuff like that. It’s really fun to watch.”
Zoe called it the best fundraiser for the band because it creates memories.
“It’s entertaining for you,” she said. “Other than buying chocolate or hoagies from the band, you can see it and watch and be entertained.”
Zoe said being a part of the band is a great way to make new friends and build relationships.
“Being in the band and band camp in July, and then going to school in August you get to know people better so you’re probably not as scared to go into the high school,” Zoe said. “You know a lot of people and you’ve got their back. They’ve got yours.”
Slam history
The annual event benefiting Springdale’s seventh through 12th grade musicians and color guard launched in 2017 at the behest of Shawn Patrick, Springdale Band Parent Association president at the time and a 1983 grad.
“For years, they were talking about fundraisers,” Patrick said Tuesday. “We’re selling candles. We’re selling flowers and hoagies. I said, ‘Have a wrestling show. If you sell tickets you can make a boatload of money. … We can put 700 people in that gym without putting a chair on the floor.’
“Three years I would propose it and it would be shot down. Finally, when I was the president I guess I had the stroke to get it done. That show was weird for me because that was the first time I was on the inside of worrying about tickets getting sold for a show. … That was a learning experience for me. I learned real quick I don’t belong on the promotion end. I can’t handle the stress.
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Even still, he handled the stress for a few more years before passing the torch. The event had to be canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Patrick, known in Western Pennsylvania pro wrestling circuits as “The Pride of Springdale,” retired from in-ring action in December 35 years as a referee. He was inducted into the KSWA Hall of Fame in 2018.
Patrick grew up in Penn Hills and moved to Springdale in 1978. He has been with KSWA since 2012.
He hung up his referee outfit — blue button-up shirt, trademark bow tie and suspenders — due to health reasons.
“Limping ain’t easy,” Patrick said. He plans to be at the Slam. His role is unclear.
“I’ll be in the ring as far as some type of capacity,” he said. “There’s probably a 5% chance I’ll be refereeing.
“It’s been nice to take something that I’m passionate about, which is wrestling, and combine that into something that supports activities that my children were involved in, which was the band. To be able to link those two things together has been very fulfilling.”
Patrick will be on the lookout for wrestler Harley T. Morris, who is in the triple threat match for the KSWA Five Star championship.
Morris is notorious for giving Patrick a hard time in his hometown.
“He doesn’t really give me a hard time anywhere else,” Patrick said. “When we get to Springdale, he gets a bug up his back and he got to mess with me. He’s going to start something, and I don’t know what he has planned this year.”
On the card
There are three title matches on the card.
Tag team champs New Glory, Hunter Huffman and Tony Onyx, defend their belts against “Rev.” Ron Hunt and Jason Gory.
Five Star champ J. Ru will attempt to keep his gold from Harley T. Morris and Justin Sane.
Heavyweight champ “The Apostle” Joshua Kavod takes on challenger River the Sickopath.
Other matches include a six-man tag-team match featuring Shane Starr, T-Rantula and the Beastman versus Freek E. Doyle, Man-Child and The Ram with the mischievous Mayor Mystery in their corner.
Pittsburgh luchador YINZA and Lou Martin battle The Dynasty faction of Shawn Blanchard and Anthony Alexander with the legendary King Del Douglas in their corner.
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The card is subject to change.
Prior to the event
Springdale students participated in a food drive for local pantries earlier this year. The class that collected the most cans was rewarded with a pizza party featuring KSWA wrestlers.
The winners were Acmetonia Elementary School fifth grade teacher Tammy Berardone’s class.
Those students collected 103 cans. Their party took place March 19.