Garland Boxing Nonprofit Sets Second Annual Showcase for June 6 With 12 Sanctioned Bouts

The Garland 9th Street Gym Project will hold its second annual showcase on Friday, June 6, at the Curtis Culwell Center, and organizers say the event is close to selling out. The evening will feature 12 matches sanctioned through USA Boxing.

The venue is located at 4999 Naaman Forest Blvd in Garland. Registration and doors open at 5:30 PM, with the program running from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Attendees are asked to dress casually and to bring only clear bags.

Organizers describe the Garland 9th Street Gym Project as more than a boxing program, calling it a community lifeline for young athletes from a range of backgrounds. The gym provides nutritional support, updated equipment and travel assistance for competitions.

Many of the young people who train there have overcome significant hardships to reach demanding goals, both in the sport and in their lives after boxing, according to the event announcement.

The showcase aims to raise more than $60,000 to expand those efforts. Guests will hear from former participants who credit the gym with shaping their lives.

Several giving options will be available during the evening. A $25 gift sponsors an athlete meal, $50 covers boxing gloves, and $100 pays for shorts and a jersey. A $250 donation sponsors a gym tutor, $500 funds gym equipment, and $1,000 covers competition travel for boxers and coaches.

Donors can also give through a QR code provided at the event, and silent auction items will be available for bidding in the lobby. All proceeds go to the Garland 9th Street Gym Project nonprofit, organizers said.

The event has drawn backing from sponsors including Randall Reed's Planet Ford 635, Encore Recyclers and the Guns and Hoses Foundation of North Texas, whose support has been instrumental to its success. Organizers say community members can also help the gym's work simply by attending the showcase.