St. James Boxing Club holding fundraiser for academic program
ELKHART, Ind. - For over 50 years, St. James Boxing Club has committed to getting Michiana in shape, both physically and mentally.
“We’re teaching them to be champions inside the ring but also to be champions in life outside the ring,” said St. James coach Eva Jones-Young.
She and Larry Young have trained fighters young and old for decades, and additionally provided educational support for the kids in their gym.
“I request every semester that I see their report cards,” Jones-Young said. “The reason we do that is because we award the kids that are on honor roll. Last year we had 11 on honor roll, but this year we had 16 on high honor roll.”
Now, St. James has a chance to expand their educational program with a new building next door.
“What we were doing before, we were doing in this [current] facility,” said Young, the owner and head coach. “With the boxing going on, it was kind of confusing. We’ve got a nice area in the other building that we want to put the education part into.”
But first, they have to fix it up.
Thanks to a recent grant, St. James can start on roofing, plumbing, and other cosmetic issues in the new building. To finish the job though, they’re hoping a fundraiser can help cover the rest.
St. James will host community members for a full night of showcasing local talent, along with a small buffet, all for a $20 donation at the door. Beyond the money, they’re also hoping to show just how much the sport of boxing can support the community in return.
“Boxing doesn’t have the best name,” said Young. “A lot of people have the idea that boxing is just brutal. It’s not that way, at least with amateur boxing it’s not that way at all. That’s another reason we’d be glad to see people come out to see what goes on.”
“Really come out and see what goes on inside our walls,” Jones-Young added. “That way, you’ll really see the difference in what you have in mind of what goes on inside a boxing club and what actually goes on inside our boxing club.”