Heart of a Champion Night Honors ’68 Grad in Need of New Heart
MORRISDALE —On Thursday, Jan. 31, two teams, along with their fans, will come together for an epic night of wrestling at the West Branch High School, all while celebrating a proud alum.
Beginning at 5 p.m., the West Branch and Curwensville wrestling teams will participate in Heart of a Champion Night at the West Branch High School to help John “Sam” Milliron, who is awaiting a life-saving heart transplant.
Milliron is a 1968 Curwensville graduate. He received an LVAD heart pump in October of 2018 as a bridge to transplant, but a heart transplant is ultimately the only chance of survival for the father of three and grandfather of seven.
A large range of out-of-pocket costs are associated with the transplant, including co-pays and deductibles, doctor visits, temporary lodging and travel and a life-time of highly expensive anti-rejection medications.
Milliron is fundraising with the non-profit Help Hope Live at helphopelive.org.
His grandson, John, is a senior on the West Branch wrestling team; Heart of a Champion Night will overlap with his West Branch Senior Night to support his grandfather’s heart journey.
The public can enjoy Heart of a Champion Night on Jan. 31, beginning with elementary wrestlers at 5 p.m., followed by junior high at 6 p.m. and varsity at 7 p.m.
Also, you can get your Sam Strong/Heart of a Champion T-shirt for a $15 donation by contacting John Milliron at 814-553-0302 before Jan. 22.
Proceeds from Heart of a Champion Night and T-shirt sales will be donated to the non-profit in honor of John Sam Milliron.
Can’t make it? You can make a donation at any time in honor of John Sam Milliron by calling Help Hope Live at 800-642-8399 or visiting helphopelive.org.
Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all funds raised will be used to offset medical expenses via Help Hope Live’s Mid-Atlantic Transplant Fund.
Help Hope Live is a national non-profit that specializes in engaging communities in fundraising campaigns for people who need a transplant or are affected by a catastrophic injury or illness.
Since 1983, campaigns organized by Help Hope Live have raised over $135 million to pay patient expenses.