Published in the April 22, 2016 edition.
BOSTON — Haymakers for Hope (HFH) is back for its sixth annual “Rock ‘n Rumble” charity boxing event at House of Blues in Boston on Thursday, May 19. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
This year, Wakefield resident Joe Cresta will be participating in the fight of his life for an amazing cause. Cresta has been training for the past four months in anticipation of the rumble and on May 19 he’ll step into the squared circle in efforts to raise money for cancer research.
For HFH’s sixth annual signature event, 30 brave men and women living in Boston and Greater New England will compete in boxing matches throughout the night against equally skilled opponents to help raise money for cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and other cancer focused research facilities.
Leading up to fight night, the Haymakers for Hope team places their event participants in boxing gyms convenient to their respective home or work. All participants train individually and within small intimate groups, learning the fundamentals of the sweet science while creating lasting bonds with their trainers and HFH colleagues.
Haymakers for Hope, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, takes inexperienced novice boxers, provides them with four free months of professional boxing training from nearby gyms and then puts them in the boxing ring for a sanctioned amateur match against an equally matched opponent in front of a live audience.
Since its inaugural event in 2011, Haymakers for Hope has raised more than $4.5 million for cancer research and has trained more than 350 participants by providing them with four months of boxing training from prominent local gyms in anticipation of their first amateur sanctioned boxing match in front of a live audience. At this year’s annual “Rock ‘n Rumble,” the organization hopes to raise upward of $400,000 to knock out cancer.
“In our six years of existence, we’ve seen men and women from all walks of life step into the squared circle and literally take their best shot at knocking out cancer,” said Co-founder Andrew Myerson. “This year we are proud to feature firefighters, investors, managers, event producers, entrepreneurs and other various backgrounds.”
Haymakers for Hope “Rock ‘n Rumble” fights are scheduled to go for three, two-minute rounds and the entire boxing card is sanctioned by USA Boxing.
General admission tickets are $75 (standing room only), VIP and box seating packages begin at $150 and sponsorship packages are available for $2,500 and up. For more information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.haymakersforhope.org or contact info@haymakersforhope.org.
About Haymakers for Hope:
Haymakers for Hope is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research through organizing charitable boxing events. Founded in 2009 by Andrew Myerson and Julie Anne Kelly, Haymakers for Hope has helped raise over $4.5 million for cancer research. For more information, visit www.haymakersforhope.org, www.linkedin.com/company/haymakers-for-hope, www.facebook.com/haymakers4hope and follow at www.twitter.com/haymakers4hope.
About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute:
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and is among the leading cancer research and care centers in the United States. It is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute. It provides adult cancer care with Brigham and Women’s Hospital as Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center and it provides pediatric care with Boston Children’s Hospital as Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center is the top ranked cancer center in New England and fifth nationally, according to U.S. News & World Report. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the largest recipients among independent hospitals of National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health grant funding.
