Boxing event raises $350,000 for YOU

Organizers revealed that $350,000 was raised for Youth Opportunities Unlimited at the 2023 Fight to End Homelessness boxing event in London. Jan. 17, 2024. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

The sweet science helped raise some significant funds for Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) through the 2023 Fight to End Homelessness charity boxing event held at the RBC Place convention centre.

On Nov, 8. 2023, a sold out crowd watched 32 amateur boxers face-off, with all matches sanctioned by Boxing Ontario.

On Wednesday evening it was announced that $350,000 was raised at the event — money that will help support a wellness hub that will be located in Joan's Place.

Joan’s Place is YOU’s new affordable housing project, which is currently under construction at the northwest corner of York St. and Richmond St.

Joan's Place will be geared to housing youth, young mothers and expectant mothers.

YOU CEO Steve Cordes said The Hub at Joan’s Place will offer full wrap-around services to residents.

"That's mental health care, primary health care. That's educational supports, employment and training assistance and housing. So, within that wellness hub, all those threads of services will be available. You don't have go to different places," he said.

32 amateur boxers took part in the Fight to End Homelessness event in November, 2023. (CTV News file image)This is the third Fight to End Homelessness fundraising night. The first was in 2019 and raised $80,000.

After a COVID-19 hiatus, the event returned last year and raised $300,000.

Fight to End co-chair Brett Lucier said organizers thought that may have been the result of what he called a COVID bump, “We chalked it up to ‘everyone just wanted a big event,’ and that’s what we put on.”

There was concern the numbers might drop this year, but Lucier said they focused on growing the event to make it even more attractive, “We weren’t sure we would get the same response at last year’s event (2023) but, sure enough, everyone came out.”

Lucier told CTV News the Fight to End team is gratified to be able to help fund the wellness hub, “That one door, that one door that gets people in there and helps them with everything they need, that’s YOU.”