Annual KO for Kids planning underway
Organizers are preparing for the second annual KO for Kids fundraiser in Niagara Falls to support children battling cancer.
Last year’s event raised $64,000 for charities that help kids fighting the disease.
“The whole committee is pumped up this year and hopefully we can at least match (last year’s total) or add on — that would be great,” said cochairperson Mike Strange.
This year’s event, scheduled for June 15, will take place at Scotiabank Convention Centre and support Pathstone Mental Health, Ronald McDonald House and stem-cell research.
Competing boxers are scheduled to take part in a head-to-head pre-fight stare down during a news conference Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the convention centre to launch the event.
Strange said the lineup of matches will be unveiled during the press conference.
He said the boxers come from all walks of life, including volunteer firefighters and casino workers.
“Ninety-nine per cent of them have never put on a glove before,” said Strange.
“Every one of these people that are boxing have something to give and they want to prove that. They’ve all been touched, whether it be by mental health or it could be someone they know who has battled cancer, whether it be a family member or a friend.”
The news conference will feature several dignitaries, including Kim Rossi, co-chairperson of KO for Kids and director of philanthropy and PR for Pathstone Foundation, and Noel Buckley, president of the convention centre.
Sanctioned by Boxing Ontario, KO for Kids features a card of amateur boxing matches, ranging in various weight classes, skill levels and divisions. Competitors participate in a training schedule with former Olympians and professional boxers Strange and Billy Irwin in preparation for their fights.
Strange said funds will be raised through sponsorships and ticket sales to the event.
Pathstone Mental Health is a community based organization whose mission is to provide innovative and effective treatment for all children in Niagara diagnosed with mentalhealth issues.
Crisis services are offered 24/7 by calling 1-800-263-4944.
Since 1981, Ronald McDonald House Charities Toronto has served as a place to call home for families with seriously ill children undergoing treatment.
It encompasses a house for 81 families in downtown Toronto and seven family rooms in hospitals across the Greater Toronto Area and in Sudbury. It served 5,139 families last year alone. Families come from throughout Ontario, across Canada and around the world.
For more information, visit koforkids.ca.