Photos from the Charity Fight Night!
Another installment of the popular “SoCal Battle of the Badges” is in the books as the recent annual charity fight night took place at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California.
The “Chatter Box” is here to share some exclusive snapshots from the sold out fundraiser which pits members of law enforcement against each other– while outfitted in headgear, boxing trunks and leather gloves for three rounds of amateur boxing. Serving up plenty of “knuckle sandwiches,” the men and women who normally keep our streets safe stepped into the ring to help raise money for Cops 4 Kids & Communities (C4KC).
Each peace officer took on their brief role of “prizefighter” very seriously and faced off in their amateur bouts hoping to have their hand raised in victory. The evening offered a wide variety of matches–a little something for everyone. The weekend warriors spanned from ages 23 to 42. And scanning down the official program, I can see that the matchups include all comers from 5′ 3″ to 6′ 3 inches and from 155 pounds to 320 pounds.
This year’s special event was also a bittersweet one honoring several fallen officers who paid the ultimate price. An Honor Roll listing each lost life scrolled down in a heartfelt moment shared by all.
In a sad twist of fate, on this same date nearby highways were closed with traffic gridlock due to a tragic multi-car crash on the 15 Freeway. Ticket holders making their way to the fights were slowed by these traffic jams. San Diego Police Officer Jason Prokop was killed during this fatal clash of vehicles while he went to the aid of a woman injured in the accident. Also involved in the collision was a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Officer who car was entangled in the wreckage.
Brave officers such as these is exactly what this one night at Pechanga was all about.
One young officer killed in the line of duty and honored at the “SoCal Battle of the Badges” on October 1 was Riverside Police Officer Ryan Bonaminio. A touching tribute to the 27-year-old (who was shot to death during a pursuit) was shown on the large screens in the Grand Ballroom at Pechanga. Ryan’s father Joe Bonaminio and other family members were in attendance along with Riverside Chief of Police Sergio Diaz. All were moved by the film tribute in honor of Ryan, whose one-year anniversary of his passing is November 7. Framed fight posters (signed by all the boxers) were presented to Bonaminio and Diaz. I also noticed many in the venue wore “In Memory of Ryan Bonaminio–We Will Never Forget” T-shirts.
During the event, I had a chance to chat with both Bonaminio and Chief Diaz and quickly learned that both gentlemen are big boxing fans! Joe had a whistle at hand, which he blew into whenever the action got even more intense inside the ropes. As the bouts continued, the two often stood up and cheered for several heated matches between the combatants. The lone female match received a standing ovation from the spirited pair. Joe and I also went over to visit the lovely ring card girls who were all decked out in their own feminine versions of cops and firefighters.
There were 15 bouts featured this year including the Co-Main of Shawn Degruy vs. Seigfried Hurst and the Main Event of Jamaal Brathwaite vs. Juan Bustamonte. Celebrity guest judges were pro fighters and champions Israel Vazquez, Mikey Garcia, Armando Muniz. Votes for “Fight of the Night” went to Roger Serrato vs. Anthony Gutierrez and other noted attendees included World Boxing Hall of Fame members, NFL’s Chris Geile, singers Michael Mandella and “X Factor” contestant Caylie Gregorio. Young dancers from C4KC also took to the canvas as they performed a couple routines at the start of the night.
Ring announcers Ken Southern and Mark Blanton kept the large crowd entertained and live walkout songs were performed by Wayside Loop. One of my favorite nuances about C4KC’s “Battle of the Badges” is the way they shine the spotlight on the officers (some who have never boxed before) who are all donating their time in climbing through the ropes. As the band played on, the fighters entered the arena with a true hero’s welcome of a smoke-machine entrance, bangin’ tunes and rousing applause from the audience.
Win or lose, the amateur athletes knew they gave it their all while raising money to help youth and teens in need.
As this year’s show drew to a close, I caught up with one dedicated trio from the nonprofit C4KC. This “Dream Team” includes Executive Director Jeff Penn (a former officer himself), Chairman and Board of Director Richard Perry and PR Extraordinaire Rebekah Ford (Riverside’s District Attorneys Office). The busy crew said they were happy everyone had a great time and most importantly, no one got hurt during the fisticuffs. The board, the sponsors and countless volunteers ensure each fight night is a KO success.
And with October’s “Battle of the Badges” in the history books, the organization is already looking ahead to the next one.
Mark your your calendars for March 2012 as Cops 4 Kids & Communities looks to host their next charity boxing show.
See you at the fights!
Photos by Michele Chong
