The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
BOXERS SERVE VETERANS
Heavyweight and lightweight boxing contenders take time to volunteer in Chittenango
Before they duke it out in the ring, heavyweight and lightweight boxers volunteered at Clear Path for Veterans, serving food and meeting with fans.
Canteen Wednesdays at Clear Path sees veterans from around the area sit down and enjoy a meal together. But many veterans were surprised to see Bryant Jennings, Oscar Rivas, Shakur Stevenson, Jessie Rosales and Vikas Krishan, who is making his professional boxing debut.
Jennings will put his IBF International and NABO heavyweight belts on the line in a 12-round battle against the unbeaten NABF champion “Kaboom” Rivas on Friday, Jan. 18 at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino. Undefeated feath- erweight and U.S. Olympic silver medalist Stevenson will face Rosales in a 10-rounder for the IBF Intercontinental and WBC Continental Americas featherweight belts.
“I think the military and athletes have a lot in common. You’re forever changed by your training and your experience and what you dedicate to your career,” said Melissa Spicer, CEO for Clear Path for Veterans. “Whenever we have athletes come visit, there’s an automatic camaraderie that comes into play. The veterans here are very appreciative of having everyone here.”
James “Seamus” Hartigan, a 77-year-old resident of Jamesville, said it was a total — albeit pleasant — surprise to see the boxers serving food and getting to meet them.
“I’ve been a fan of boxing since I was about 8 years old,”
Hartigan said.
When asked who were the fighters he rooted for growing up, Hartigan laughed and said there were many he was a fan of, from Sugar Ray Robinson to Ezzard Charles.
When asked if this was his first time doing volunteer work, Jennings laughed and said no.
“We always do volunteer work,” Jennings said, motioning to his fellow fighters. “We come from a community where it takes vol- unteer work to make the community work.”
Jennings said he and his fellow fighters had never heard of Clear Path, but wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to help and serve veterans.
“It’s a good effort and something we stand behind,” Jennings said. “They have already served.”
Rivas, born in Columbia and fighting for his hometown of Montreal, Quebec, has done a lot of volunteer work, his coach said. After being shown such generosity when moving to Canada, Rivas felt the need to give back.
When asked what he’ll be doing in the days leading up to the big fight, Stevenson said he plans on just hitting the gym and training asmuch as he can. But if the opportunity to do a little more volunteer work came up, Stevenson said he’d be happy to help.
When asked why community involvement is so important, Hartigan smiled and said he’s been part of a group that’s been around since the 1930s.
“Alcoholics Anonymous,” Hartigan said. “It gave me so much. And it still continues to give. So I feel, in order to keep what I have to give it away.”