With only four months of disciplined boxing training, 32 "athletic joes" get set to fight in Haymakers for Hope in front of a sold-out House of Blues crowd. On May 18th, this group (including me) will swing at each other in efforts to literally #KOcancer. Now a staple in the Boston charity circuit, Haymakers for Hope has raised upwards of $6 million in its seven-year existence.
The goal to raise money for cancer research isn’t exactly novel in concept, but their method sure as hell is. Fighters are given headgear, gloves, wraps, a trainer and a bunch of punches in the face. Our class of fighters has already raised north of $150,000 and we are nowhere near done. The charity boxing tournament's inception came about in 2009 when Julie Kelly and Andrew Myerson were training for the New York City Golden Gloves. Kelly is a cancer survivor herself and former NYC Golden Gloves champ and Myerson is a Sloan MIT grad and serial entrepreneur. A perfect duo for an organization that aims to raise $10 million per year.
I spoke to Myerson about the current state of Haymakers: "We believe now, more than ever, in Haymakers for Hope's potential to expand its unique fundraising platform, to challenge everyday men and women to surpass their perceived limits and to scale its fundraising to millions annually. We are excited to continue to work with amazing organizations like Dana-Farber in our fight to KO cancer."
As of 10 a.m. this morning, tickets are officially on sale. This event does sell out so make sure to buy tickets sooner than later. Tickets range from GA ($85) to ringside ($600).
There's a group of us in the Boston Tech community participating. If you're able to, donate a few bucks to support an amazing cause. You can also click 'buy tickets' from the following links to support a specific fighter:
Kyle Gross (me) - BostInno
Jeff Scola - EMC
Matt Grendal - EMC
Michael Abbate - Intrepid Pursuits
Michael Wooden - On Process Technology
Matthew Nolan - Applause
Dante Leone - Motus
Tim Morin - fama PR
Personally, I couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of this organization. The money I raise through Haymakers for Hope will benefit the MGH Pediatric Oncology Division, an incredible group of doctors trying to cure the most impressive little fighters in Boston. If you aren't already inspired, take a look at the photos below for a few action shots, a packed house of blues, and ring girls who are all cancer survivors or currently undergoing treatment.
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