The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is excited to announce that it is creating a series of wrestling coloring books as part of its 50th Anniversary Celebration. 

The series of five coloring books are being created by Foundation for Wrestling Art & Innovation founder and former wrestler Ross Bendik, a member of the Hall of Fame's 50th Anniversary committee. 

“Art is a great way to connect with the culture and history of sports, so I was honored to collaborate with the Hall on these coloring books as part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration," said Bendik. "I’m excited to see how young wrestling fans bring their own creative touch to the great moments, athletes, and events from the past 50 years.” 

The coloring books will be divided into five decades, beginning with 1976 when the museum opened. The first book, 1976-85, is available for download now at https://nwhof.org/national-wrestling-hall-of-fame/coloring_books. 

Completed coloring sheets can be uploaded at https://nwhof.org/national-wrestling-hall-of-fame/create_coloring_books for consideration to be displayed on the Hall of Fame website and in the museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma. 

Bendik has previously created holiday cards for the Hall of Fame as well as a form that allowed wrestlers to set a goal and write it onto a form to be displayed at the museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma and Waterloo, Iowa. 

A member of the Hall of Fame's 50th Anniversary Celebration committee, Bendik established the charitable nonprofit FWAI to promote the culture of amateur wrestling and to create greater opportunities for athletes on and off the mat. The organization's goal is to foster more creative collaboration and innovation across the sport of wrestling through: 

• Creating an accessible infrastructure for creativity and innovation across the wrestling community

• Connecting wrestlers and wrestling programs with creatives to help achieve their goals and grow their brands

• Providing creative support from inception to realization of wrestling art or engagement activities

• Providing learning opportunities to help grow the artistic and creative capabilities across the sport of wrestling  

The FWAI presents the Wrestling Aesthetics Awards to recognize the best of design and style in the wrestling community and hosts a 10-week virtual Wrestling Art camp during the summer that provides creative opportunities for youth wrestlers / artists through activities that simulate real-life design requests within the wrestling community. 

Learn more about the FWAI and its mission at https://www.thefoundationforwrestlingart.org/ 

For 50 years, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame has served as the definitive steward and champion of wrestling history and achievement through its mission to preserve history, recognize extraordinary achievement, and inspire greatness.