Hello All!

On the morning of May 25th, I sized myself a mouthguard and wrapped my wrists. I nervously walked to the Eastside Boxing Club for the Aprons for Gloves try-outs. I strapped on a pair of boxing gloves and then my name was called, I was next. The next 3 minutes of my life belonged to a badass named Chopper yelling that if I didn't give him more, if I didn't hit harder, if I slowed down or stopped, he'd walk me to the door himself.

As some of you may know, I, Lindsay Garrigus, have embarked on a new journey, a journey of spreading love and giving back to my community. A journey of getting my ass kicked for an amazing cause. Answer me this: When you were a kid, did you ever have moments of being hungry? Were you ever concerned that you might have to skip a meal because there was nothing to eat at home? I did. Albeit, it didn't happen often but I remember that hunger would invoke feelings of helplessness and hurt. It didn't last long though because I had found the community of basketball. In that community, my teammates, their parents, and my coaches cared for me. My teammate's dad, we called him Mr. Danny, always made my sister and I extra food, "Lindsay and Leah! I put the left-overs on the stove, eat as much as you want!" The security of a meal is beyond joy. 

The Eastside Boxing Club (ESB) and I share a common belief: support our youth and love your community (among other things). ESB has 4 programs to ensure their community feels the love: (1) An after-school boxing program for at-risk youth, (2) young-adults class for youth working to improve their mental health, (3) free self-defense for female-identified, and all members of LGBTTQQ2S, and (4) a Moms and Tots Boxing Program.

I have always loved discipline and structure, hard work and a good time, love and kindness. I have found all of the above in the weeks that I have been training at the ESB Club. Servers and bartenders from the restaurant industry are banding together to raise $2,000 each so the gym can continue to support our community. Please help me surpass this amount, DONATE, and I promise I will enter the ring with a fire in my heart that will stomp any feelings of hunger. Dedicate your donation to safety, community, and a full stomach. 

Highlights of Eastside’s After School Boxing Program include:

Fitness: Free non-contact boxing classes five-times per week that provide a safe space for participants to exercise and learn basic boxing skills under the guidance of professional coaches and mentors. These classes focus on fitness and foundational technique.

Food: Youth is provided with pre- and post-workout nutrition. ESB also offers a food pantry from which the youth can pick any item(s) they want to take home. This is fully accessible throughout the week. All food and drinks are provided through the Punch N Munch program created in partnership with Good Food for All.

Clothing: Boxing gear and ESB branded clothing are provided through an incentive-based scale for the participating youth. Hand wraps, water bottles, shirts, sweaters, mouth guards, etc. are provided throughout the progression chart designed by ESB staff. In addition, ESB openly accepts donations of new and used fitness and lifestyle clothing to provide directly to youth participating in the program.

Support: ESB partners directly with community outreach workers through the Network of Inner City Community Services Society (NICCSS) to ensure that youth are provided with direct access to additional resources in the community. Skills learned through this program are transferable to many areas in the participants’ lives. By providing a safe space for individuals to engage in meaningful conversations and coaching that focuses on both physical and emotional wellness. ESB plans to build positive relationships between mentee and mentor which will lead to the development of healthier lifestyles.

Health Care: Health care practitioners attend the after-school program bi-weekly on Wednesdays. This gives the opportunity for youth to discuss their physical health and build relationships with health care professionals.

Tutors: Eastside works with a group of tutors that work directly with the afterschool program to support youth with their academic success.

Peer-Leadership Program: helps Eastside youth develop life skills including leadership, responsibility, public speaking, and facilitation. While allowing them to pursue their passion to help their peers lead a happy, healthy and fulfilled life. The goal is to harness the youth’s energy and eagerness to give back to the program by having them create curriculum through formalizing leadership positions. This project has resulted in 10 youth having a paid position to teach their peers about healthy living.