You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

This teacher needs your help!

Mr. Mena from El Portal, FL is requesting other through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Mena is requesting

Lace Up The Trojan's Wrestling Squad

My students need wrestling shoes in order to compete at the District and Regional level. We will need mat tape to host matches at our school and build school pride.

  • $928 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mr. Mena for his next project!

Help Mr. Mena

My Students

Last year was our first year and I had 50 kids, and I was the only one on the mat with wrestling shoes. By the end of season, there were 20 kids that quit because they couldn't afford the shoes, and only 13 kids could afford them. Wrestlers compete as individuals, yet builds comradery like no other.

My kids are TOUGH, and they are inspiring.

Everyday they come to practice even though at home they may not have food, or know that tonight they'll be sleeping on the floor. They look to me as their guide and mentor, but at times I just don't have the resources to help them. At every wrestling tournament I bring them breakfast and lunch, because I know that some of them will not have money to bring their own food. Wrestling is the escape that they have and the family that they have adopted. My school is filled with recently arrived Haitian families, and I am an advocate for them. There won't be opportunities like this anywhere else for them and I am just trying to ease some of the struggles that they have in their everyday life.

My Project

My kids will no longer have to swap shoes between each wrestling match. This past year my students were embarrassed that everyone had their own shoes, except them. We would walk into other schools and they would warm up without any shoes on, and although they were happy to be a part of the team, inside it hurt them. They would ask things like, "why does that team have cool warm ups?" or "How come the school can't get us a pair of matching shoes for all of us?" With your contribution, they WILL be supplied with shoes and will be able to compete in the regional tournament. Also, we will finally be able to host matches at our home school and get the entire school to back us.

Last year, I had 2 kids place in the top 5 at the regional tournament.

There were 3 other kids who could have shared this joy with them but did not have the resources to compete. I refuse to let that happen again this year. As Dan Gable said "“I’m a big believer in starting with high standards and raising them. We make progress only when we push ourselves to the highest level. If we don’t progress, we backslide into bad habits, laziness and poor attitude.” Help us keep our bar high and lace up.

Mr. Mena Horace Mann Middle School Grades 6-8

Celebrate Black teachers and kids! This project supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of students are Black.

Equity Focus

At this school, more than 50% of students are Black, Latino, and/or Native American, and more than 50% come from low-income households. Learn how your donation to this school supports a more equitable education.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Mr. Mena

El Portal, FL View local requests

More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

30 students impacted 14donors

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mr. Mena is requesting.

See our finances

Where Your Donation Goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total
Asics Men's Matflex 4 Wrestling Shoe,Granite/White/Black,9 M US • Amazon $54.75 4 $219.00
Asics Men's Matflex 4 Wrestling Shoe,Granite/White/Black,8 M US • Amazon $53.62 4 $214.48
Asics Men's Matflex 4 Wrestling Shoe,Granite/White/Black,8.5 M US • Amazon $54.75 3 $164.25
Asics Men's Matflex 4 Wrestling Shoe,Granite/White/Black,10 M US • Amazon $53.62 2 $107.24
Gamecraft Mat Tape Roll (3 x 84-Foot) • Amazon $8.44 5 $42.20

Materials cost

$747.17

Vendor shipping charges

FREE

Sales tax

$0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$11.21

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$788.38

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$139.13

Total project goal

$927.51

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

$927.51

11 Donors

-$345.00

Donations toward project cost

-$293.25

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$51.75

Matching donations from our partners

-$582.50

Match offers toward project cost

-$495.12

Match offers to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$87.38

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

$0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

View complete list Show less

Give the most requested basic supplies

See teacher requests

Give back to your community

Find opportunities to impact local needs by exploring a map of classroom projects near you.

See local area

Project Activity

{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"FL","teacherPossessivePronoun":"his","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":3,"name":"Middle School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/lace-up-the-trojans-wrestling-squad/1604124/","mayHaveReplacements":true,"numStudents":30,"teacherScreenName":"Mr. Mena","isEquityFocus":true,"proposalHash":"-1971061123","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"photosPublished":true,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"schoolCity":"El Portal","teachersOnPage":[2511390],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":true,"proposalId":1604124,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"authorIds":{"2511390":{"owner":"Mr. Mena","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[1604124],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/136/teacher-placeholder-1_136.png","teacherHasProfilePhoto":false,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":20471153,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":["MjUxMjQ1Ng==","MzAwOTQ0NQ==","MzAwODQ3Mg==","MzAwOTIwMA==","MzAwOTE1NQ==","MzAwODQ5MQ==","MzAwODUxNQ==","Mjk0MzM4Mg==","MzAwOTM3MQ==","MzAwOTU0OQ==","MzAwODc3Mw==","MzAwODUzMA==","Mjk2Nzg4Mg=="],"teacherId":2511390,"schoolCounty":"Miami-Dade","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"FL","name":"Florida"}}