A local boxing gym is inviting you to put your dukes up to do good.
Griffin’s Boxing & Fitness has launched Knockout for a Cause, a first-of-its-kind program on the North Shore where rookie boxers train and fight for a chosen charity.
Anyone living North Vancouver or West Vancouver, regardless of boxing ability, can apply to be a contender. Applicants can register as an individual or as a representative of their place of employment, especially if there’s a similar business in your industry you’d like to face off in the ring, the gym says.
To qualify, contenders must be at least 18 years old and are expected to raise at least $2,000 for their selected charity. So far, Griffin’s has partnered with organizations including Athletics for Kids, Backpack Buddies, Harvest Project and North Shore Women’s Centre.
But according to the gym, meeting the minimum fundraising goal doesn’t guarantee you a fight. You’ll have to adhere to a rigorous training regime and other factors must align, like the number of other registered contenders.
If a contender makes it through the winter-spring training period, match-ups will be announced in May. Then fight night is set for June 6, when the gym will be packed with supporters there to watch the 10 to 15 selected fights.
The first round of contenders was chosen at the end of November, with a second round of tryouts coming mid-January, when applications for the event close.
One of the pillars at Griffin’s has always been community, said Zoe Peled, lead organizer of Knockout for a Cause.
“That’s been very front and centre in how we operate, but I wanted to look at how we could grow that a little bit … not only when we look at community in the gym, but also community outside of the gym,” she said.
The other spark for the program was to get a more diverse group of people into boxing, “creating an opportunity to get people fighting who have never fought before,” Peled said.
“I think that there are still a lot of beliefs around boxing being for a certain type of person, or a person of a certain age or athletic ability,” she said. “So part of this is also creating a little bit more access and inclusivity around boxing as well.”
Still, the program isn’t for the faint of heart. Newbies must commit to at least three classes a week, and hopefully more, Peled said. From January to May, contenders must make it through the Boxtech wrap level system from White to Blue Gloves. You can only start sparring at the Blue level.
“It’s intense, but it’s definitely achievable,” she said.
If a contender reaches fight night, they’re in for a special experience at Griffin’s.
“They’re absolutely packed. They’re really exciting,” Peled said about fight nights at the gym. “Each fighter gets a walk out. So that’s really big for them, especially if it’s their first fight.”
While Peled is pleased with the contenders so far, she has some dream North Shore match-ups in mind.
“We’d love to see something from two of the breweries in our neighbourhood,” she said. “It would be amazing to see Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge going up against each other.”
So far they’ve had someone sign up from the City of North Vancouver, which could be interpreted as a call out to a staff member from the District of North Van.
The event is a unique opportunity to combine the discipline and camaraderie involved with training for a fight with the ability to support a local cause, Peled said.
“It’s a really fantastic opportunity for them to participate in something which is also happening for the first time, which is a win-win,” she said.
