Grayslake teacher has unforgettable reunion with sumo outfit
Grayslake Central High School teacher Katie Titus' reunion with a sumo wrestling suit and mat made her weekend.
Titus was concerned she might be on the hook for more than $600 in replacement costs because the red-belted, foam-filled sumo outfit and safety mat she rented for her physical science class were missing after flying out of her pickup truck Dec. 13.
But a story in last Thursday's Daily Herald about the missing sumo suit and mat led to Titus' happy reunion with the items at Jason Lizzo's Third Lake house.
"I ended up with it for a reason," said Lizzo, who invited Titus to reclaim the goods at his home Saturday afternoon.
Titus and her father, Leo, said Lizzo declined their reward offer and complimented him for stepping up when he became aware someone was seeking the expensive sumo gear.
"They could have went out on eBay or Craig's List and took the money," said Leo Titus, who blamed himself for doing a poor job in tying down the items in a seemingly deep bed of a 2006 Honda Ridgeline pickup.
Katie Titus rented two sumo suits - one with a blue belt, the other red - and the large mat to use during her class' chapter on Newton's Laws of Motion last month. Some students wore the costumes and wrestled to show how sumo involves the three laws of motion, including "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."
Titus and her father used the truck to return the suits and mat the morning of Dec. 13, going from the Grayslake area to Mundelein. They were on Route 83 passing a garbage dump when, unknown to them, the red-belted costume and mat left the truck.
Lizzo said his brother, Brian, was in a Jeep Cherokee a couple of car lengths behind the Tituses when the items sailed away. Brian Lizzo pulled over and placed the heavy outfit and mat in his vehicle, figuring the Tituses were about to stop.
However, the Tituses kept going and didn't realize they were missing some of the sumo stuff until they reached Clowning Around & Celebration Authority in Mundelein. They retraced their path four times to no avail.
Jason Lizzo said he received the sumo suit and mat because his brother figured he'd have fun with them. Lizzo said he and some friends goofed around in the suit, which he stored in his garage for the past month.
Lizzo said a neighbor knew about the outfit in his garage and called him after reading about Titus' situation. Lizzo said he e-mailed Titus on Friday night at an address provided in the story.
Titus said she called Lizzo on Saturday and didn't know if he was sincere because she had received some prank e-mails. She knew Lizzo was legitimate when he told her the mat was green, a detail that wasn't in the news article.
She planned to return the items to the Mundelein shop today. Titus said she looked forward to letting her students know what happened over the weekend.
"My students will be pleased," Titus said. "They were eager to know the outcome."
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=262813">Find a sumo outfit? Grayslake teacher wants to hear from you <span class="date">[1/8/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>