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By SCOTT MIMS | Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – The Thompson High School auxiliary gymnasium was turned into a temporary mattress store on Saturday, Oct. 23 as the Thompson wrestling team held its 10^th annual mattress fundraiser benefiting the program.

Thompson wrestling coach Shawn Weltzin said the event has proven successful year after year and not only helps the program but also allows people to purchase mattresses at a discounted price from what they would find in a traditional store.

“This year was our 10^th year, and we haven’t gotten the numbers back yet but we’ve had over $50,000 raised with this event over 10 years. It’s been a good event for us,” Weltzin said.

For the event, a company called Custom Fundraising Solutions comes in each year and turns the gym into a mattress showroom, where people can come and try out different mattresses. Because the company does not have to pay for rental, storage or overhead that traditional mattress companies pay for, they can pass the savings on to the customer and to the program, Weltzin explained. The proceeds are used for travel, uniforms and various other needs of the wrestling program.

“Every member of my family is sleeping on one right now,” he said.

Unlike with many other events, Weltzin said the fundraiser has not suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It actually had the opposite (effect),” he said. “Last year was a good year for us, because people were fixing up their houses and staying indoors a lot.”