Amateurs Give Back to the Community
As this year comes to a close, it’s time to get ready for the holidays and the new year.
One local boxing club in Southern California recently took part in several city events and fundraisers around town.
The Burbank Boxing Club (BBC) has had extra busy months of November and December as the members participated in various programs that assist others in need. Founded by Steve Harpst, the amateur boxers compete locally and nationally as they learn the skill of the sweet science. But they also take time to give back to the community.
For Thanksgiving, the club members opened their hearts–and wallets–to donate funds and purchase 12 large bags of food/supplies/gift cards for the organization LA Family Housing, a homeless service in North Hollywood. Spearheaded by BBC member Amy Davila, the gift bags were stuffed to the brim with all the fixins for delicious meals and a homemade greeting card was also included. The club also attended a couple of fundraisers at the Veterans of Foreign Wars/VFW 8310 The Gudgeon in Burbank where noted singer Mike “Majik” Boyd performed his “Tribute to Sam Cooke” concert series to help raise funds for the VFW. Boyd and his sponsor invited the fighters to be his guest at the live performance where he gave them a shout out.
And the spirit of giving will continue through the winter as the boxing club plans to hold more fundraising raffles, events and get-togethers involving boxing while also helping the underserved.
The boxing club was in 1996 and Coach Harpst has kept his strong passion and unwavering dedication for the sport through the years while training both amateurs and pros under his watch. The boxing trainer, award-winning sculptor and Hall of Famer reconnected with some of his boxing pals including businessman (and fellow World Boxing Hall of Fame alum) Raul Esquivel, who donated some of his Grampa’s Ice Cream, to the events and the VFW’s Juan Guillen, one of the original members of the BBC.
During the VFW gatherings, Harpst talked boxing with Jack Hartman, who reminisced about his days as an amateur slugger at the South Pasadena Golden Gloves. The trainer and boxers also got to meet the VFW’s Mickey DePalo and many local and state politicians as well.
“I’m very honored to have watched the special Veteran’s Day ceremonies that the VFW was involved with,” Harpst says. “They should be recognized for their service and sacrifice to their country. The Burbank VFW is a truly great organization and it really is an honor to be around these veterans and to have our boxers meet them too. They vets are the real champions!”
While his amateur club continues to grow and thrive, the boxing trainer appreciates the outpouring of support from the members and is impressed with their desire to reach out and connect with others who may need a little boost of support during the holidays. During such a busy time of the year, they made the effort to take off the boxing gloves to play Santa Claus for lots of families in need!
“The holidays can be tough for everyone. And many don’t have the means to have the kind of Christmas they’d like to provide for their families,” Harpst comments. “I’m very proud of the Burbank Boxing Club for stepping up and helping others. Some of our members are young students with part-time jobs, many are stretching their own dollars thin with families of their own but they still wanted to donate money to make sure someone’s holidays are a lot brighter!”
Please remember those in need and have a knockout holiday season!
Photos courtesy of Michele Chong and BBC
