THE ROAD TO FIGHT TO END CANCER 2016 HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN

The 5th Annual Fight To End Cancer Gala will be taking place on Saturday June 4th, 2016 at the historic Old Mill, here in Toronto, and we could not be any more excited to see our new batch of fighters strap on some gloves and fight for a good cause.

The journey, however, has only just begun for our team of 10 courageous fighters and the next six months will certainly be an extraordinary feat of will and determination for all of them.  So, just who are these fighters and why are they choosing to step into our ring and fight to end cancer?

INTRODUCING FTEC 2016 BOUT 3
Kyle Barlow VS. Jeff MacWilliams

Words From Kyle Barlow:

Like most, I have had many family members and loved ones endure a fight with cancer.  This event gives me the opportunity to show them that I am in this fight with them; spiritually and physically.

If you would like to get to know Kyle’s personal story better and donate to his fundraising goal for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, you can do so by clicking here.

Words From Jeff MacWilliams:

This day and age cancer has affected us all in some shape or form. I am honoured to have an opportunity to raise funds for the cause.

If you would like to get to know Jeff’s personal story better and donate to his fundraising goal for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, you can do so by clicking here.

THE ROAD TO FIGHT TO END CANCER 2016 HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN

The 5th Annual Fight To End Cancer Gala will be taking place on Saturday June 4th, 2016 at the historic Old Mill, here in Toronto, and we could not be any more excited to see our new batch of fighters strap on some gloves and fight for a good cause.

The journey, however, has only just begun for our team of 10 courageous fighters and the next six months will certainly be an extraordinary feat of will and determination for all of them.  So, just who are these fighters and why are they choosing to step into our ring and fight to end cancer?

INTRODUCING FTEC 2016 BOUT 2
Jason McGuire VS. Andreas Wulff

Words From Jason McGuire:

Ending cancer is something very near and dear to my heart. Both Jennifer (my wife) and myself, have family that has cancer and have to live with it every day. While this is not something that people want or like to talk about it, open discussion is needed.

The more cancer is hidden, the less we think about it, the less we do. Events like the Fight to End Cancer help bring about awareness and action.

This year we are proud to be welcoming our first child into this world. I want to make sure that cancer is not something she will ever have to worry about in her life. We have the ability to solve many problems in today’s world and cancer is one that effects so many people. This is why I want to fight, this is why I want to put an end to cancer!

If you would like to get to know Jason’s personal story better and donate to his fundraising goal for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, you can do so by clicking here.

Words From Andreas Wulff:

I want to fight for all the heroes who fight every day and everyday till June 4th I’ll push myself to the ultimate level to exceed all expectations. Just for each and every person who this event could possibly help.

If you would like to get to know Andreas’ personal story better and donate to his fundraising goal for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, you can do so by clicking here.

THE ROAD TO FIGHT TO END CANCER 2016 HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN

The 5th Annual Fight To End Cancer Gala will be taking place on Saturday June 4th, 2016 at the historic Old Mill, here in Toronto, and we could not be any more excited to see our new batch of fighters strap on some gloves and fight for a good cause.

The journey, however, has only just begun for our team of 10 courageous fighters and the next six months will certainly be an extraordinary feat of will and determination for all of them.  So, just who are these fighters and why are they choosing to step into our ring and fight to end cancer?

INTRODUCING FTEC 2016 BOUT 1
Vignesh Jayakrishnan VS. Kael Cruz

Words From Vignesh Jaykrishnan:

The introductory class was enough to suck me in to the world of boxing. The challenge of the sport was something I quickly gained an appreciation for. Since then it has been a goal of mine to train and fight in an amateur bout at least once in my life. When I found out about the Fight to End Cancer charity event, it definitely spoke out to me as an important cause to fight for. My dad is a survivor of cancer and although there is a lot of tragedy surrounding the disease, he was able to beat it with the aid of the Princess Margaret Foundation. That is proof that our efforts to fight back are working. And we will continue to progress with newer developments in the field of cancer research.

I am fighting in FTEC 2016 so that people like my dad can fight.

With your help, I hope to reach my fundraising goal and make a difference.

If you would like to get to know Vignesh’s personal story better and donate to his fundraising goal for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, you can do so by clicking here.

Words From Kael Cruz:

If you don’t change the times, you’ll be changed by them.
Change is always worth fighting for.

I’m participating in the 5th Annual Fight to End Cancer in support of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. The FTEC team is committed to raising research dollars to help in the fight to change how cancer affects the lives of those it touches.

Basically, we’re trying to knock it the hell out.
One little jab, one little hook at a time.

Please help me in reaching my goal. It would be a very much appreciated step towards change. And in this fight, trust me, no step is too small.

Let’s change the future times to come, and help make them brighter.

If you would like to get to know Kael’s personal story better and donate to his fundraising goal for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, you can do so by clicking here.

FIGHT TO END CANCER’S 2016 FIGHTERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN

The Fight To End Cancer is very excited to announce that we have officially chosen the members of our 2016 Fight Team!

VIEW FTEC2016 FIGHT TEAM

These 10 brave men and women will devote the next seven months of their lives intensely training in the sport of Olympic-style boxing on a very strict weekly schedule to help prepare them, both physically & emotionally, to step into the ring at our 5th Annual Fight To End Cancer Gala, in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, on Saturday June 4th, 2016.

We could not be more excited to welcome this group of philanthropic warriors into the Fight To End Cancer family.  The high demand of interest from people this year to lace up their gloves and get in the ring to help ‘knock out cancer’ has been truly overwhelming; making this the fastest we have ever been able to assemble a Fight Team! A huge thank you to Jen, Virgil and all those who came forward to fight in 2016’s event.

The Fight To End Cancer’s donation goal for 2016 to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is for a record $200,000.00.  If you would like to read up about our Fight Team members and contribute to one of the fighters’ personal fundraising goals, which will help in us reaching our overall milestone donation, please follow the link below.

Now is the time to start securing tickets to the 2016 gala! We have great deals on early-bird table and individual ticket pricing.  These reduced prices will not last long though. We have sold out of sponsorship and tickets months prior to all of our previous galas. Our 2016 gala is sure to be the biggest-to-date and demand will be at an all time high, so be sure to act fast!

Don’t Wait! Save The Date!
Saturday June 4, 2016

View FTEC2016 Fighters

Buy Tickets or Tables

Become A Fighter

PAIGE CUNNINGHAM RECIEVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

It takes a special kind of person to become a Fight To End Cancer fighter. In four years of operation, we have had over 40 brave men and women step into the ring to literally fight cancer.  Each fighter has become true family in our quest to raise funds for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, with the ultimate goal – Ending Cancer In Our Lifetime. This mission held especially true for 2015 FTEC Fighter, Paige Cunningham.

After the record breaking Fight To End Cancer Gala in May 2015, Paige went on to receive The David P. Harris Courage Award. This award recognizes a staff member of The PMCF, who demonstrates unwavering passion, excellence, dedication and courage in furthering the Foundation’s purpose of raising and stewarding funds for cancer research.

Congratulations Paige! We wanted to share with you the recommendation letter that was submitted on Paige’s behalf by Jennifer Huggins, Executive Director and Founder of the Fight To End Cancer.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter to assist in the nomination process of Paige Cunningham for the David P. Harris Courage Award. My name is Jennifer Huggins, Founder and Executive Director of the Fight To End Cancer. I was honoured to have spent the past year with Paige as a fight team member of our annual Fight To End Cancer Charity Gala in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. When Paige came forward after attending the event in 2014, she told me that she was willing to do whatever it takes to step into the ring and fight in 2015’s event.

Though many apply for this position (over 50 applications came in for 2015 alone), most do not meet the strict criteria needed to participate in a fully sanctioned, Olympic-style competitive boxing event. To become a fighter is an incredible feat in itself; however, the fact that Paige would be representing the PMCF in her fight meant an extraordinary added pressure that was unique from what any of the other fighters would ever have to overcome. Not one to back down from a challenge, Paige was determined to fight inside of the FTEC ring. She managed to garner the support of the whole team at the PMCF and from the local community, as her story began to spread.

As the year progressed, I was given the opportunity to learn Paige’s incredible story of bravery and personal struggles of cancer affecting those she loved. By finding it within herself to share her journey with the world through a personal blog that she updated weekly, she taught many how to take back the power that cancer can strip from individuals and their loved ones. Everything that Paige committed to, she not only followed through on – she inspired others.

Training for a fight requires commitment, hard work, and an unprecedented amount of courage. After singlehandedly raising nearly $9,000.00 in funds for PMCF, Paige stepped into the ring on May 30, 2015 and fought her heart out in front of over 700 spectators – more than 40 of which, included friends and family members. When the final bell rang and Paige’s hand was raised as the winner, the room was deafening with support. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of being bestowed the prestigious David P. Harris Courage Award, than Paige Cunningham.

WATCH PAIGE’S FULL FIGHT

The Fight To End Cancer (FTEC) hosts an annual black tie charity gala that was founded in 2011. Our prestigious event raises funds for cancer research with proceeds going directly to support the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation’s Urgent Cancer Priorities Fund.

Our gala event is just one part of an ongoing fundraising effort by Fight To End Cancer, which will continue throughout the year and whose success will in large part, rely on community teamwork and continued media exposure. With these efforts, we are confident we will reach our goal of raising over $1,000,000 annually by 2017 to support this cause.

In order to maintain and build upon our to-date success and growth, FTEC has an immediate opportunity on our planning committee for the following position:

POSITION | MARKETING SPECIALIST

Position Type: Part-time Volunteer position

Responsibilities (include but are not limited to):

• Develops and executes a three-year marketing strategy for FTEC, with a focus on promotion and business development including enhancing brand awareness and donor conversions
• Collaborates with the Public Relations Director to develop all marketing materials
• Collaborates with the Executive Director to target and secure new sponsors, to recruit key partner organizations and to engage existing sponsor relationships (Compensation may be available for new sponsorship sales)
• Collaborates with the Social Media team to develop content to be shared within FTEC’s networks and ensure that the social media and marketing schedules are aligned
• Leads a full branding exercise for FTEC & measurement of brand awareness

Qualifications (include but are not limited to):

• Degree or diploma in Marketing, Communications or relevant discipline required
• Minimum 3-5 years of progressive experience, preferably in the not-for-profit sector, with a demonstrated track record of marketing successes
• Demonstrated experience in developing marketing strategies with not-for-profit organizations, preferably in collaboration with for-profit firms
• Excellent written, verbal, listening and presentation skills
• Excellent organizational, planning and time/project management skills
• Strong computer skills with high level of proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint)

Please send your resume to: info@fighttoendcancer.com

Thank you for your interest in joining Fight To End Cancer’s Planning Committee. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Fight To End Cancer is an equal opportunity organization.

When Erica McMaster realized she wouldn’t be able to attend this weekends FTEC2016 Orientation, she wrote this to share with the hopeful fighters trying out . Trust us when we tell you, both her and her opponent Paige Cunningham are perfect people to talk to if you are thinking of stepping into the ring to Fight To End Cancer!

Words From FTEC2015 Fighter | Erica McMaster

When I signed up for FTEC 2015, nothing could have prepared me for the intensity of what it would involve, and just how much it would impact my life. I’ve competed in several sports, but NOTHING, I repeat nothing, comes close to the grueling workouts dished out at Kingsway Boxing, the psychological turmoil of learning the science of boxing, and the mental anguish experienced week after week – I cried, A LOT.

I also had some of the highest moments of my life to date. The new family I inherited and the friendships that were made are irreplaceable. Jennifer Huggins and Virgil Barrow, along with the incredible coaching crew, changed my life. With them you are in good hands – (and ones that will also deliver the beating of your life). I would do it again without hesitation if I had to, though I’m not gonna lie, I’m glad I get to sit by and watch my partner in crime go through it as I guiltlessly drink a beer (or three) from the sidelines.

If you want a challenge, and to prove that pretty much anything is possible when you set your mind and heart to it, then this event is for you.

I wish I could’ve been here today! But luckily for you, the gym floor is that much drier without me;)

Read Erica’s experience from start to finish in the blog she updated weekly in the lead up to Fight To End Cancer 2015

Become A Charity Boxer | Learn More

4TH ANNUAL GALA RAISES OVER $165,000 IN SUPPORT OF THE PRINCESS MARGARET CANCER FOUNDATION

Thursday June 4, 2015 -TORONTO, ON – The 4th Annual Fight To End Cancer‘s (FTEC) black tie gala was the biggest and most successful year ever! The sold out event hosted at the historic Old Mill Inn, in Toronto’s west end, brought together some of the city’s top executives and influencers, who cheered on our 2015 Fight Team. These 10 brave, men and women with no previous boxing experience, stepped into the ring to literally fight to end cancer – all in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. One of the most exciting bouts of the night was showcased by Erica McMaster who faced Paige Cunningham (our first-ever fighter who works directly for the Hospital’s Foundation). Mark Muia (red trunks) versus Robert Doherty (black trunks) – Opening fight of the night, showcased boxing skills that even ‘wowed’ the judges. Over 600 guests packed into the Old Mill Inn filling the venue with energy that could be felt across Toronto. Sean Donovan, FTEC2015 Main Event Champ, sharing the belt with his opponent, Jason Brydges – Donovan broke records this year by raising over $40,000.00 individually for the Fight To End Cancer. Jennifer Huggins, Founder of the Fight To End Cancer with Paul Alofs, CEO and President of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, celebrating the passion they both share in with their mission of Ending Cancer In Our Lifetime.     Five sanctioned Olympic-Style Boxing matches (three male bouts, two female bouts) were the perfect celebration for the commitment and hard work of the 2015 fighters. After six months of intense training and fundraising; all 10 fighters are true champions. An astounding $120,000.00 was raised within their personal networks. Coupled with the night’s additional fundraising efforts at the gala, over $165,000.00 will be directly donated to the Princess Margaret in 2015!  After four incredible years of fundraising efforts, the Fight To End Cancer has now successfully raised nearly $400,000.00 in direct donations to the hospital’s foundation, since its inception. The opportunity to donate to our 2015 fighters has not passed yet! There is still time for you to make a last-minute donation to your favourite fighter, as we will be collecting donations for 2015’s event up until Friday, June 12th.  Fight To End Cancer‘s Executive Director & Founder, Jennifer Huggins, is beyond proud of the hard work and dedication that each member has shown of both the Fight Team and Planning Committee, in making 2015’s event an unbelievable success. In her own words: “The feeling on Saturday was surreal. I wish I could bottle the energy, passion and ultimate ‘togetherness’ that could be felt. It connected every fighter, guest, staff and volunteer in the room – over 700 people, all fighting for the same cause. We have all outdone ourselves this year, yet we feel nothing but inspired to do even more. We are unstoppable. Together, we will End Cancer in Our Lifetime – Defeat Is Not An Option!“   With next year’s event date set for Saturday June 4, 2016; there is already an incredibly strong amount of interest from corporate executives looking to join our 2016 Fight Team. With companies approaching us to come on board as sponsors for next year and beyond; it appears as though Fight To End Cancer will be gearing up for even greater future success!  No one is alone in the battle against cancer and we want to spread this message worldwide. We can all take part in the Fight To End Cancer!    JOIN THE FIGHT: Become A Charity Fighter Become A Sponsor   The entire FTEC2015 Fight Team, centre ring, for a team celebration of a job well done – a perfect finale for a successful event by all.   -30-   Gala photos available upon request and at http://kingswayboxingclub.com Interview Opportunities: Interview Opportunities in studio, at boxing gym location or, via phone, email, Twitter, Facebook with: FTEC 2015 Fight Team participants (contacts available upon request) Jennifer Huggins (Executive Director & Founder, Fight To End Cancer) Virgil Barrow (FTEC Fight Team Captain, Kingsway Boxing Club) Paul Alofs (President | CEO, The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation) Kelly Dickinson (Special Event Manager,The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation) About The Fight To End Cancer The Fight To End Cancer Gala is an annual black tie fundraiser founded in 2011 by Jennifer Huggins. We have chosen to partner with the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation due to their direct support within the community. Our goal is to raise funds for cancer research year-round with the support of the local community and business owners. Let’s make a difference now in the fight to end cancer for a long and successful future for everyone. This is an event like no other and has quickly become one of the most anticipated events in Toronto. http://kingswayboxingclub.com About The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation at University Health Network raises funds for breakthrough research, exemplary teaching and compassionate care at Princess Margaret Hospital and its research arm, the Ontario Cancer Institute, which now includes The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute and The Campbell Family Breast Cancer Research Institute. More information about the Foundation can be found at http://www.thepmcf.ca  About The Kingsway Boxing Club   You are not in this alone! This is how Kingsway Boxing feels about the battle against cancer.  The Fight To End Cancer Fight Team proves to those who are fighting, have fought or have been in some way affected by cancer, that they are not fighting alone! We are proudly working with the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation to help Fight To End Cancer. It is an honor to be fighting for such a worthy cause!http://www.kingswayboxingclub.com

The 4th annual Fight to End Cancer 2015 Charity Boxing Gala in support of Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation was held at the beautiful Old Mill Inn, Toronto. This unforgettable night included 5 fights, amazing entertainment and was hosted by Founder Jennifer Huggins and MC’d by Steve Patterson from “The Debaters” (CBC). #FTEC2015

 DEFEAT IS NOT AN OPTION!

The 4th Annual Fight To End Cancer Charity Gala
Supporting The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation

WHAT: Following the Official Media Day Weigh-in last week at Jack Astor’s, our 2015 Fight To End Cancer Fight Team are all geared up for the much-anticipated 4th Annual Fight To End Cancer black tie gala. The Gala will be on Saturday, May 30th at Toronto’s historic Old Mill Inn, benefiting the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. Our Las Vegas-style, pre-show entertainment will commence after a glamorous cocktail reception and gourmet dinner. Master of Ceremonies this year will be celebrity comic, Steve Patterson. The evening’s main attraction will be our 2015 Fight Team, who will bravely step into the boxing ring and literally fight to end cancer.

WHEN: Saturday, May 30th, 2015 from 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Reception from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Dinner & pre-show entertainment from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Fights begin at 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: THE OLD MILL INN | 21 Old Mill Road, Toronto, ON M8X 1G5

WHY: Ten courageous men and women have managed to raise over $100,000 to date in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and have been training in true Olympic-style boxing for the past six months, as they prepare to step into the ring for this important cause.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO THE GUESTS
Please be sure to download all necessary event materials including parking passes. Also be sure to register your tickets to ensure entry in case of lost tickets or special dietary needs.
View Guest Materials

MORE INFO, SUPPORT OR DONATE NOW
Visit: www.fighttoendcancer.com
Twitter: @FightEndCancer
Instagram: @FightToEndCancer
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightToEndCancer

TUNE INTO BREAKFAST TELEVISION THIS WED. MAY 27
Catch the FTEC2015 Fight Team and Crew this Wednesday, May 27th from 6:00 am – 9:00 am Live!
Spread the word!

NOTE TO THE MEDIA:
This is a private event. For the full event itinerary and/or a Media Access Pass, please contact: David Kelly, PR Director at david@fighttoendcancer.com. You will find a brief rundown of the Gala timings below. Please allow time to check-in at reception if you are planning to do any live-to-air segments.

EVENT ITINERARY:

-30-

MEDIA INQUIRIES:

David Kelly
Public Relations Director
david@fighttoendcancer.com
www.fighttoendcancer.com

Leading up to Fight Night we will be featuring one of the incredible men and women who have joined the Fight to End Cancer in support of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

Meet our #FeatureFighter, Georgia Curtis

Georgia is the Managing Director at Backpocket HR Inc. and is excited and proud to be participating in Fight To End Cancer 2015! With one week to go, Georgia has hit (and passed) her fundraising goal and is feeling more than ready to get into the ring!

? “The training has been intense and challenging and I have really loved it. It is fantastic to feel this fit and strong. I am excited about the fight. I have worked hard and have learned a lot and I am looking forward to pulling it all together and doing my best in the ring.”

Georgia has participated in many event and fundraisers in the name of ending cancer, but nothing quite like FTEC. She learned about The Fight To End Cancer through her friend Frances McCart at Eagle, who has been one of our fantastic sponsors for several years.  

“This fight is for my pal Cindy Weeks. She battled breast cancer and was cancer-free for years. In 2008, cancer returned and since then Cindy has lived with metastatic disease. Her brave tenacity is both heroic and inspiring – she is the toughest fighter I know. She believes that breakthroughs will come, and that cancer can be beaten.

I am fighting for her, and I ask that you please give generously.”

Like the rest of the FTEC Fighters, Georgia is raising money for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, so although she has hit her goal, she is not ready to stop raising funds! Help Georgia demolish her goal before she steps into the ring next weekend by making a donation here! 

“I have dedicated my fight to my friend Cindy Weeks.  I could not have anticipated how special it has   been to share this with her. Her network has helped with fundraising and I have donations from some people I have not met. We have talked about the training and what I need to work on and my approach on Fight Night. We have done this together and she is very excited to see the Fight.”

Leading up to Fight Night we will be featuring one of the incredible men and women who have joined the Fight to End Cancer in support of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

Meet our #FeatureFighter, Mark Muia

Mark is a Project Manager at JD Collins Fire Protection and will be stepping into the ring on May 30th to face-off against Robert.

How did Mark get involved with #FTEC2015?

Mark was introduced to the Fight To End Cancer through his wife and her training at Kingsway Boxing Club.

“We went to the event last year and was amazed with all the fighters stories…now I’ll be making my own story.

This fight for me is personal.  I lost my Mum to cancer 5yrs ago.   She was a determined and strong woman.  After finding out she had a brain tumor she fought the cancer for 10yrs.  There was never a moment I can recall where she let us see her weakness in the fight… to her this was not an option.”

Alongside 9 other men and women Mark will step into the ring to show his support for those, such as his mother, who have had to fight cancer. Mark has already beaten his fundraising goal of $5,000 with less than two weeks to go, but he isn’t stopping there! Donations can be made right up until the Fight To End Cancer Gala, so we want to see Mark not only beat, but demolish his goal (you can help by making a donation here).

“Most recently, My sister was diagnosed with cervical cancer.  She is a wife, and a mother to two young girls and a teenage son and too young to be fighting this disease.  We are thankful she had the proper guidance from her team of doctors and surgeons.  Through her strength, determination and ongoing support from our family and friends she is cancer free today. ”

We asked Mark how he is feeling leading up to Fight Night?

“Feeling great! Trying to give 200% in training and then the fight will be a breeze. The training has prepared me so I’m feeling confident. I would be lying if i said I wasn’t nervous, it’s not so easy to go into something were you know the other person wants to hit you.

Thanks to my fight team for being amazing!! They are all amazing people. Virgil and Jen have been great as coaches and friends and look forward to many days in the gym. My wife for the push and having my back always.”

Fight To End Cancer Official Media Day Weigh-ins
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday May 21, 2015

WHAT:  The Fight To End Cancer’s Official Media Day Weigh-ins is right around the corner! This annual pre-gala event gives our sponsors, the media and our V.I.P. guests the opportunity to meet our 2015 Fight Team and cheer them on! This group of courageous men and women have been training in true Olympic-style boxing, for the past six months, as they prepare to step into the ring on Saturday, May 30th for the 4th Annual Fight To End Cancer black tie gala, in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

We are honoured to partner with Jack Astor’s Bar & Grill at St. Lawrence Market this year, as our Official Media Day Weigh-ins Headquarters.  The team at Jack Astor’s have been incredibly generous with us and are going to be letting us use their entire second level mezzanine to showcase our fighters.

WHEN:  Thursday, May 21st, 2015 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Speeches commence at 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Jack Astor’s Bar & Grill (St. Lawrence Market location)
Mezzanine Level
73 Front Street East
Toronto, ON
M5E 1B8
(Located on Front Street East between Church St. & Jarvis St.)

WHY:  Our team of 10 white-collar men and women, with no prior boxing experience, have devoted the past six months of their lives into both their boxing training and reaching their team’s fundraising goal – in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. We want to invite our generous sponsors (whose support helps to make Fight To End Cancer possible) to come out, meet our champions and show your support in all they are doing for this important cause.

*Please note that this is an invite-only event*

Wed, May 6, 2015: Ten men and women who have never boxed before step into the ring, after training for months, to raise funds for cancer care and research. Angie Seth reports.

The Fight To End Cancer (FTEC) would like to introduce a brand new awareness initiative that we launched at the beginning of May and will be promoting year-round – the #iFightCancer social media campaign.

It has been a major goal to take the Fight To End Cancer name beyond our annual gala and create a social movement that communicates the ultimate message of FTEC to the public: we are ALL able to take part in the fight to end cancer.

So, what exactly is the #iFightCancer campaign?

• Thanks to Tip Top Tailors, an official partner for Fight To End Cancer, we debuted these postcards in May 2015 – displayed in all 32 of their stores across the GTA
• The intent is to spread awareness of FTEC’s #iFightCancer campaign and, have the community take part to spread our message.

And how does the #iFightCancer campaign work?

• It is really quite simple! Much like “Hello My Name Is” badges, the #iFightCancer postcards will give everyone the opportunity to publicly share who it is they are fighting to end cancer for in their lives, by writing the name of the person/people, or general reason, in the blank field in the card and then take a photo of themselves (selfie) holding the postcards and posting online using the hashtags #iFightCancer.

**These postcards will be available year round at all Kingsway Boxing Club locations and various participating Partners’ storefronts **

We wanted to share this information with all of you, so that you better understand how this social media initiative will work.  We will be continuously looking at new ways to further develop the #iFightCancer campaign and we will need everyone’s help to spread the word!

Leading up to Fight Night we will be featuring one of the incredible men and women who have joined the Fight to End Cancer in support of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

Meet our #FeatureFighter, Leslie Ehm

Leslie Ehm is the President & Chief Fire Starter at Combustion. Leslie had been training at Kingsway Boxing for a few years and had fallen in love with the sport. When she saw the #FTEC2014 team training, bonding and generally kicking ass, she knew she wanted in.

“Last year I watched with great envy how the FTEC team trained and bonded and how they were all so connected and committed to raising awareness and funds for PMCH. And then to see it all come together on fight night!! Wow – I knew then that I would do anything it took to be a part of what Jenn Huggins had created with the Fight to End Cancer.”

In the weeks leading up to the Fight to End Cancer 2015 Gala, Leslie has raised over 17 THOUSAND dollars towards her 20k goal. “Today, I’m the oldest and smallest fighter on the team, I’ve raised a ton of money so far and its all been a dream come true.

I turned 51 yesterday and my 13 year old daughter Lotus, who has also recently starting boxing, wrote this in my card; ‘It’s not whether you win or lose. It’s about how many people you’re helping and inspiring. And that’s true victory.’ No truer words could have been said about what this experience is all about. And my family have been so patient and supportive throughout.”

When we asked Leslie how training was going she admitted it has been a challenge:

“Despite the fact that I consider myself to be pretty fearless, the training has been way tougher than I anticipated. The physical part is only a fraction of the challenge. Its the mental game that really requires the most energy! I’ve learned so much about myself in this process and pushed my way through and past so many real and imagined obstacles. Truly mind-blowing!!!”

On May 30th Leslie will get in the ring with Georgia and go 3 rounds in an effort to raise funds, and just as importantly, awareness for cancer research and The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

“I am so freakin’ excited about fight night. I can’t wait to see how all of this training and thinking will finally come into action and I can’t wait to see how my skills have prepared me. Its also such a celebration of everyone involved in FTEC and an amazing tribute to the real fighters – Cancer sufferers, survivors and supporters. Cannot WAIT to get into that ring and do my thing.

I’m proof that ANYONE with the desire and commitment can do it. So get your gloves on people and join the good fight!”

Help Leslie reach her goal of raising $20,000 before May 30th here! 

Photo Credit: Evelyn Hannon / J Moshenberg

Fight To End Cancer & Tip Top Tailors To Spread Awareness Through #iFightCancer Campaign

For Immediate Release

Media Relations
905-616-0113
Toronto, ON

TORONTO, ON – (April 28, 2015) – The Fight To End Cancer (FTEC) is pleased to announce the launch of its brand new awareness campaign #iFightCancer in partnership with Tip Top Tailors, with proceeds going directly to benefit the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

Beginning Monday, May 4th 2015, and running until the night of our 4th Annual Fight To End Cancer black tie charity boxing gala on Saturday, May 30th 2015, all 32 Tip Top Tailors retail locations across the GTA will have #iFightCancer postcards available, through a small donation, at cashier stations. These postcards, similar to “Hello My Name Is” badges, gives the community the opportunity to publicly share why they are fighting to end cancer, via posting a “selfie” online with the hashtag #iFightCancer.

The ability to help make a difference in the fight to end cancer is not only reserved to those who attend our gala. Cancer affects us all. FTEC’s founder, Jennifer Huggins, has always been passionate about spreading this message. She had this to say about our brand new awareness campaign:

“No one fights alone. This is an important message we hope to spread worldwide to those who are fighting, or have loved ones fighting, cancer. The #iFightCancer campaign will run year-round and will bring together the reach and power of online, social media engagement. Through partnerships with companies like Tip Top Tailors, we have expanded our ability to spread this message.” 

This will be Tip Top Tailors second year as a top-tier partner of the Fight To End Cancer. It is the hope of both FTEC and Tip Top Tailors that the #iFightCancer campaign will, not only raise significant funds for cancer research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, but will also help to spread awareness of our ultimate message – we are ALL able to take part in the fight to end cancer.

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Media Inquiries:

David Kelly
Public Relations Director, Fight To End Cancer
david@fighttoendcancer.com
905-616-0113

About Fight To End Cancer

The Fight To End Cancer is an annual black tie fundraiser founded in 2011 by Jennifer Huggins. We have chosen to partner with the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation due to their direct support within the community. Our goal is to raise funds for cancer research year-round with the support of the local community and business owners. Let’s make a difference now in the fight to end cancer for a long and successful future for everyone. Join us for the much-anticipated fourth annual Fight To End Cancer fundraiser – Saturday, May 30th, 2015. www.fighttoendcancer.com

About Tip Top Tailors

Tip Top Tailors, part of Canada’s leading men’s apparel retailer, Grafton-Fraser Inc., has been providing business and formal attire to the country’s most stylish men for over 100 years. Fight To End Cancer prides itself on having the opportunity to partner with an iconic brand, such as Tip Top Tailors, who have a storied history within Canada’s business and retail communities. www.tiptoptailors.ca

A Brief Biography

JENNIFER HUGGINS began following her dreams at a young age when she devoted nearly the first half of her life to the sport of competitive figure skating.

After an unfortunate accident that cut her skating career short; Jennifer turned to the sport of boxing as both a rehabilitation activity and therapeutic tool. Her passion flame grew from there and in 2006 she opened the very successful, Kingsway Boxing Club, boxing gym facility. Through her entrepreneurial ambitions, Jennifer was now given the rare opportunity to work with two of her greatest loves: the sport of boxing and the community.

In addition to all of her commitments, Jennifer traveled the world over the past decade, performing on some of the grandest stages, as an assistant to a professional magician. Through her loves of boxing, business and entertainment, the Fight To End Cancer was conceived in 2011. Overseeing the day-to-day development of the Fight To End Cancer as the Executive Director – she, along with her executive planning team, are on a mission to make it one of the top fundraisers, both locally and abroad.

Jennifer now divides her time between her role with Fight To End Cancer, running the Kingsway Boxing Club and her brand new role as an Official for Olympic Boxing at the international level.

Words From Jennifer Huggins

I am commonly asked why I choose to “fight” cancer. The truth is, there are so many causes out there that need to be supported and one day I hope to fight for all of them. However, it is cancer that continues to attack those who mean the world to me – my community.

The Fight To End Cancer started as an outlet through which I could bring together all of my passions: boxing, business and entertainment. Developing this unique fundraising event allowed me the ability to try to fulfill my dream of building a stronger, healthier community.

I believe that fighting is in our DNA. It is a skill we develop when dealing with adverse situations. Sometimes, we choose to fight and other times we are forced to. The battle, which one faces with cancer, is much like a boxing match; only the decision to step into the ring was made for them along with their opponent. The team that stands behind a boxer can make, or break their fight. It is no different for someone who is faced with the reality of having to fight cancer.

Cancer does not discriminate. We have all watched, painfully, as it attacks friends and family, both young and old. It tests the limits of, not only the victim, but also of their loved ones. Maintaining the physical strength it takes to go to battle with cancer is something that can take virtually everything out of an individual. However, the burning flame to fight and to win must never be extinguished. Those who can fight – must.

An extraordinary example of how people can make a difference in the outcome of a fight are the people who work at the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. They have become a staple in our community and they work to help those who need it the most. Their mission is to “Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime”. With this monumental task, they not only give hope, they help produce concrete results. The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is a team leader in the community who deeply believes in what they do and work tirelessly to accomplish their goals.

Teaming with the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation has been a dream come true and has inspired me to never fear big challenges. I love to fight, I love people and through the Fight To End Cancer, I have found a purpose.

It has been four years since the conception of Fight To End Cancer and a team who once consisted of friends and family, now has become an international community and a force to be reckoned with. Fighting together is a metaphor through which we will continue to show our support for those who need it most. Defeat Is Not An Option.

Leading up to Fight Night we will be featuring one of the incredible men and women who have joined the Fight to End Cancer in support of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

Meet our #FeatureFighter, Robert Doherty

Robert is the Ontario Operations Manger for Apps Transport Group, a logistics company providing trucking and intermodal freight services across Canada.

So what prompted Robert to join the fight?

“I’ll never forget sitting down with my family for the news. A family friend was diagnosed with breast cancer and although there were reasons to be optimistic she had a battle ahead. So much runs through your mind. Is this real? Why is this happening and can it be stopped? How can I help?

There wasn’t much more I could do other than offer my love and friendship, but this never felt like enough and it didn’t do anything to answer the bigger questions about cures and prevention.”

On May 30th Robert will step into the ring at The Old Mill and Fight to End Cancer! Robert is working towards a fundraising goal of $5000.00 and is nearly half way there. Up until training began Robert admitted the only thing he had punched was the air after a hockey game.

We asked Robert about his support system in taking on this massive challenge:

“My parents and siblings have been a huge source of support as they always are, they’ve made a large donation themselves and will be at the fight, although I don’t believe my mom is 100% ok with the idea of me getting punched in the head even if she says she is. My coaches Jenn and Virgil have been amazing. I knew nothing about boxing before coming into this, they’ve taught me so much about not just the physical but also the mental aspects of the  sport. I’m really grateful for this and I’ve applied some of the principles to my day-to-day life even. ‘You can’t control the other fighter, all you can do is control yourself and what you do’.”

“I believe this experience will allow me to share on a much smaller scale what my friend went through. I will face something that intends to beat me and whose will is outside of my control. I will have to persist despite the pain and fear.”

When asked how training is going he had nothing but concern for his opponent:

“The truth is, I’m really, really nervous….for Mark. We were jogging around the gym the other day and I lost count of how many times I lapped him. Honestly, I don’t know if what he does can even be called “training”. I put more effort into stretching than he does the actual workout! It’s not going to be pretty. I mean, my moves will be pretty; my style and execution is pretty much flawless. I’m just a little worried about what that means for Mark. He’s got this great gig as the “before” model in a lot of those anti-aging commercials you see out there, you know the ones that promise to take 10-15 years off your face? I’d hate to ruin that for him. But seriously, I’m dreaming about boxing at this point and based on how I feel during my conditioning and sparring sessions, I’m sure it’s going to be an absolute nightmare for Mark when we get into the ring together.”

Robert, along with the rest of the #FTEC2015 Fighters are working tireslessly to train for their fight and to raise money for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

“As a community we must do our part and support organizations like the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. You can get in the ring with me by donating to my campaign to support the PMCF and its mission to help those who are or who may one day be faced with cancer!”

Help Robert reach his goal by making a donation today!

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(April 16, 2015) – The Fight To End Cancer (FTEC) is proud to announce that one of Toronto’s top landscape companies, Landscape Plus Ltd., has jumped on board to be our official ‘Lead Partner’ for the 4th Annual Fight To End Cancer charity gala, in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.Our 2015 event will feature ten “white-collar” men and women, with no prior boxing experience, who will literally be fighting to end cancer, as they lace up their boots, strap on their gloves and step into the boxing ring during our black tie gala on Saturday, May 30, 2015.

Helmed by Jim Mosher & the Mosher family; Landscape Plus Ltd. has been designing and installing beautiful landscape oasis’ for their clients and establishing itself as a staple in the Greater Toronto landscaping community, since its inception in 1984.

Landscape Plus Ltd. has been a proud supporter of the Fight To End Cancer since its inaugural year in 2012. With each passing year, Mr. Mosher & the entire Landscape Plus Ltd. team have continued to increase their sponsorship commitment to our cause. They make it their mission to give back to the community where they can and are particularly strong believers in Fight To End Cancer’s ultimate vision of knocking out cancer in our lifetime.

In Mr. Mosher’s own words on why community support, especially supporting Fight To End Cancer, means so much to both himself personally and to the company, as a whole:

“Community support has been a big part of Landscape Plus Ltd. culture for the past 30 years. Giving back and stepping up for various charities and school causes has always been part of who we are. Each day I have the great pleasure of being surrounded with quality people who infuse their work with creativity, vision and passion. The atmosphere is one of dedication, support and respect. Dovetailing these qualities with a cause as noble and worthy as the Fight To End Cancer is a perfect fit.”

Fight To End Cancer’s Executive Director & Founder, Jennifer Huggins, and the entire FTEC team mutually share the same level of appreciation and respect for having Landscape Plus Ltd. as a supporter. In Ms. Huggins own words:

“Corporate sponsorship not only makes the event become a reality, but it also helps develop the much needed awareness for the cause. With their immense involvement in the community,  Jim and his family have been such a big part of the Fight To End Cancer even before it took form. I am so honoured to be able to call Landscape Plus an Official Partner, as their involvement represents so much to me on a personal level.”

Through the continued support of all of our generous sponsors, such as Landscape Plus Ltd., the Fight To End Cancer will continue to thrive in its quest to be a top-tier supporter of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and help in the battle to conquer cancer. This is something that we believe must happen. Defeat is not an option.

Each Friday we will be featuring one of the incredible men and women who have joined the Fight to End Cancer in support of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

Meet our #FeatureFighter, Jason Brydges

Jason is a Director of Sales for an IT Company and heard about the Fight To End Cancer while visiting Kingsway Boxing Club last August. “[I was] looking to add a “boxing” fight on my bucket list of things to do having just turned 40.”

Jason, like too many of us, had been directly affected by cancer, so when given the chance, he gladly join the #FTEC2015 Fight Team.

“A number of years ago I lost both my grandfathers to pancreatic cancer and more recently watched my mother fight, and ultimately beat, her cancer with the help of Princess Margaret Hospital. Additionally, my wife lost a friend to cervical cancer when she was only 28.”

On May 30th Jason, along with nine other men and women, will be entering the ring and fighting it out, in an effort to raise funds for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation! Jason will be taking on Sean Donovan as the Main Event of the evening.

“Sadly, we could all share stories of how our lives have been impacted, but with ongoing research and support like what is offered to patients by Princess Margaret Hospital, I believe we can achieve the ultimate goal of finding a cure.  To do this however, they need assistance in raising both awareness and money.” Which is exactly what Jason is doing. So far he has raised 53% of his goal with just over two months to go before the big day.

We checked in with Jason to see how his training was going…

“Training is amazing…I can’t get enough. It’s truly remarkable all the different people that are willing to show up at the gym day in/day out to help prepare us with sparring and conditioning, not to mention Jen and Virgil.”

I’ve always been a fan of boxing and admire the dedication these athletes have in the preparation to meet and achieve their goals. I never imagined I’d be preparing for such an event but feel privileged to be part of such a worthwhile cause.

To steal a quote from the great Mohamed Ali:

“I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale, only last week I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. I’m so mean I make (Cancer) sick.”

Help Jason reach his goal and sponsor him today!

Each Friday we will be featuring one of the incredible men and women who have joined the Fight to End Cancer in support of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

Meet our #FeatureFighter, Sean Donovan

 Sean is a father of two and is the Business Development Manager for the Toronto District of PCL Construction.

“I’ve seen friends, colleagues, and acquaintances all deal with their own battles against cancer; some winning while others sadly losing. And I know one thing for sure – I don’t want to see it ever again.”

The Fight to End Cancer is a one-of-a-kind experience. We ask our Fighters not only to raise funds, but to get in the ring and physically box one another.

So why has Sean joined the fight?

 

 

 

“In the past I’ve felt helpless, wondering what I could do to help. But in reality once the diagnosis has been made, there isn’t much of anything that any of us can do to help.

I realize now that where we can help – where I can help – is before the diagnosis occurs. Funding for the research associated with understanding and preventing cancer is what is required, and that’s why I’m participating in the 4th Annual Fight to End Cancer in support of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.”

Leading up to Fight Night, Sean has challenged himself to raise $50, 000. Yes, you read that correct. 50K. So far Sean has reached 30% of his goal, bringing in over $15, 000 for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. With his phenomenal dedication to this cause, we are sure that with your help Sean can reach his goal!

“Life is so short. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was one less thing in the world for all of us to worry about? Maybe, just maybe, the money that we raise through this event will help us get there. I know one thing – it certainly won’t hurt!”

The Fighters have been training for weeks now and we asked Sean how his training is going so far… “Challenging but well. Boxing is not an easy sport to master…both mentally and physically.

I’m so ready for these next 2.5 months. I’ll be sure to make all my supporters proud.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Relations
905-616-0113
Toronto, Ontario
17 March 2015

CHARITY BOXING’S NEW RENAISSANCE: FIGHT TO END CANCER

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation finds new heroes in our 2015 Fight Team

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015 — TORONTO, ON – The Fight To End Cancer (FTEC) is proud to unveil its official campaign image for our 2015 fundraising season. Taking inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic Renaissance masterpiece, The Last Supper; this powerful image perfectly captures the passion and dedication shown by each member of our 2015 Fight Team on their journey of stepping into the ring, as they look to conquer their opponent and more importantly – help to conquer cancer.

On Saturday, May 30th 2015 our team of amateur fighters will lace up their boots, strap on their gloves and step into the ring to help knockout cancer at Fight To End Cancer’s fourth annual black tie gala held at the prestigious Old Mill, in Toronto – in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

This heroic group of ten white-collar, men & women, have graciously volunteered countless hours of their personal time, as they train vigorously at our official training facility, the Kingsway Boxing Club. Under the direction and guidance of both FTEC’s Executive Director & Founder, Jennifer Huggins & FTEC’s Fight Team Captain, Virgil Barrow, these amateur fighters are being given all the tools they will need to both physically and mentally be ready for one of the most important moments of their lives.

Since this past October, our fighters have trained three days a week, in order to master the fine skills needed to properly compete in the technical sport of Olympic-style boxing – and they are doing this all in the name of raising funds & awareness in support of cancer research.

As the founder of Fight To End Cancer, Jennifer Huggins has had the privilege of seeing her ultimate vision of knocking out cancer in our lifetime grow each year, since 2012, to new levels of achievement. In her own words, Jennifer reflects on the success of Fight To End Cancer in such a short time:

“Fighting cancer was a personal decision I made over four years ago. It touches me beyond words to have built a vision that others are willing to literally fight for. We have had over 40 Official Fighters since the first year, along with hundreds of sponsors and thousands of guests and volunteers.  With the strength of our army we will make it our mission to end cancer in our lifetime!”

As of today, our 2015 fighters have already raised nearly $50,000 for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and with over two months of fundraising time left to go, they show no signs of slowing down. It is through these fundraising efforts, coupled with their intense commitment to training that the members of our Fight Team have helped mark a new era for the sport of boxing – its own Renaissance period, as a champion of philanthropy.

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2015 Tickets are 70% Sold Out! Don’t miss out – visit fighttoendcancer.com

Supporting

Media Inquiries:
David Kelly, Public Relations Director
david@fighttoendcancer.com
905-616-0113

Photos available upon request and at www.fighttoendcancer.com

Interview Opportunities:

Interview Opportunities at boxing gym location or, via phone, email, Twitter, Facebook with:

– Jennifer Huggins (Executive Director and Founder, Fight To End Cancer)
– Virgil Barrow (Fight Team Captain, Fight To End Cancer)
– Kelly Dickinson (Special Event Manager, The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation)
– FTEC 2015 Fight Team participants (contacts available upon request)

About The Fight To End Cancer

The Fight To End Cancer is an annual black tie fundraiser founded in 2011 by Jennifer Huggins. We have chosen to partner with the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation due to their direct support within the community. Our goal is to raise funds for cancer research year-round with the support of the local community and business owners. Let’s make a difference now in the fight to end cancer for a long and successful future for everyone. Join us for the much-anticipated fourth annual Fight To End Cancer fundraiser – Saturday, May 30th, 2015. www.fighttoendcancer.com

About The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation at University Health Network raises funds for breakthrough research, exemplary teaching and compassionate care at Princess Margaret Hospital and its research arm, the Ontario Cancer Institute, which now includes The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute and The Campbell Family Breast Cancer Research Institute. More information about the Foundation can be found at http://www.thepmcf.ca

About The Kingsway Boxing Club

Kingsway Boxing Club is Toronto’s leader in boxing training for fitness, competition and stress relief. Sanctioned by Boxing Ontario, we run competitive and recreational Olympic Boxing programs. We pride ourselves on helping our clients achieve their personal fitness goals by utilizing the best coaching methods, fitness and boxing classes, facilities and training programs. We are proudly teaming up with the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation to help Fight To End Cancer. It is such an honour to fight for such a great cause! www.kingswayboxingclub.com

That’s the goal for voice actor-turned-boxer Erica McMaster at charity event aimed at beating the disease

BY STEVE BUFFERY, TORONTO SUN

TORONTO – Erica McMaster makes a living as a voice actor.

But on May 30, the Ottawa native will let her fists do the talking.

McMaster is just your regular, mild-mannered, 30-something actor/writer/holistic nutritionist who enjoys climbing into the ring and throwing leather. All in a good cause.

The Toronto resident, the daughter of Canadian diplomats who grew up for a time in the southern African nation of Zimbabwe, will face Paige Cunningham, a special events coordinator at the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, as part of the Fourth Annual Fight To End Cancer Fundraiser at the Old Mill Inn in Etobicoke. The unique event — the brainchild of Kingsway Boxing Club owner Jennifer Huggins — matches people from all walks of life — business leaders, lawyers, emergency workers, CEOs — in three rounds of competitive amateur boxing.

For McMaster, climbing in the ring and training as a fighter has been a revelation. She grew up participating in sports at a pretty high level, including swimming, rugby and distance running, but boxing was something the personable voice actor had never considered, that is until her boyfriend, fellow actor Craig Lauzon (a veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Farce), told her about Huggins and her annual fund-raiser.

Lauzon originally was going to take part in the event, but had to bow out because he’ll performing in a pair of plays at the Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto (Trudeau and the FLQ and Trudeau and Levesque) at the same time as the gala. But McMaster became intrigued with the idea of boxing and fell in love with the training and the concept of raising funds to fight cancer.

“If you had asked me a year ago if I ever saw myself doing something like this, absolutely not. I’ve never really enjoyed the idea of two people fighting,” McMaster said over coffee at a downtown Toronto cafe. “The idea of hitting someone was a really hard thing for me to wrap my head around.”

But the chance to raise funds for cancer research is something very dear to McMaster’s heart. Before her 12th birthday, when the family was living in Zimbabwe, she lost her mother Jill to cancer.

“It goes without saying that her absence has had an enormous impact on my life,” McMaster said. “I miss her everyday.”

The 36-year-old also lost two of her grandparents to the disease and, just last year, a childhood friend, who died at 34.

Her goal now: “To punch cancer in the face.”

At an age when most little girls are preoccupied with playing and friends and having fun at school, after her mom died, McMaster became occupied with health and diet (becoming a vegan in her teenage years) and searching for ways to avoid getting cancer.

“At a really young age, I started becoming really aware of what I was eating and how much I was exercising, because in my mind I thought I don’t want to ever get cancer. It was a huge fear. And that kind of escalated to full blown eating disorder,” she said.

In fact, her eating disorder became so serious, a few months after her mom passed, the family moved back to Canada and McMaster had to be hospitalized for a month and a half. She struggled with eating disorders throughout most of her teens and fought to come to terms with losing her mom and the disease that killed her — certainly something most teenage girls don’t generally worry about.

“The fear is definitely there,” McMaster said. “But I don’t live my life as rigidly as I used to. More than anything it’s gone the other way, I just want to live my live as much as I can because of what I experienced.”

Staying fit has remained a priority for the on-air voice of Slice TV and boxing takes that to another level.

“It’s hardest training I’ve ever done,” McMaster said. “I think the thing that is the most surprising to me is just how hard it is to go for five minutes at full force.

“It’s such hard work. I think ‘Oh, it’s only going to be three two-minute rounds,’ but that is going to be probably six of the most gruelling minutes of my life,” she added.

It’s tradition for fighters to adopt a nickname and McMaster has long had one — The Luscious Beast — a salute to the years she spent in Africa. She actually has a tattoo of a mother and baby rhino on her left shoulder blade.

Despite losing her mom at such an impressionable age, McMaster looks back at her time in Zimbabwe as the “happiest time of her life.” And what would also make her happy is if she and Cunningham put on a good show and the Fight to End Cancer Gala is a big success, which it no doubt will be. McMaster has a small army of family and friends coming to the Gala to watch her fight Cunningham.

“It’s still crazy,” she said with a laugh. “I can’t believe sometimes that I signed up for it, that I’m this far in. But it’s awesome and I have a huge appreciation for the sport now.”

… On The Official Photo Shoot for Fight To End Cancer (FTEC2015)

Produced By: WAYFF Global Ltd.
Studios and EQ Rentals Provided By: S1 Studios Toronto
Principle Photographer: Al Quintero

“Lights, cameras…left hook!”

Words that the 2015 Fight To End Cancer (FTEC) Fight Team became very familiar with, as they primped, preened and stepped in front of the camera lens this past Sunday, March 1st 2015, for our official team‘s promotional photo shoot at S1 Studios Toronto.

After what turned out to be an extremely successful day led by the co-creative vision of Principle Photographer, Al Quintero & FTEC Founder, Jennifer Huggins; our fighters went through a marathon of wardrobe changes, hair & make-up touch ups and various set designs, all in the name of securing the best shots that will be used for promoting this year’s event on Saturday, May 30th 2015.

Outfitted in wardrobe provided by our partners at TIPTOP Tailors, this is a very different look from what the public will see on fight night!

Although we can’t say too much about the inspiration behind the theme for this year’s campaign quite yet, we already know that this will be our most visually iconic to date and will certainly leave a lasting impression.

With each passing year, Fight To End Cancer looks to further expand its brand awareness, locally and abroad, through creative new methods. It is our intention to take on each project with the highest level of professionalism and respect for the cause. We will never lose sight of our core mission in raising funds for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation with the hope that we will knock out cancer in our lifetime!

We can’t wait to unveil our official 2015 Fight To End Cancer campaign with all of you. Be sure to be on the look out for it soon!

Become A Fighter

The fourth annual Fight To End Cancer (FTEC) will be taking place on Saturday, May 30th 2015, at the Old Mill Inn. This black-tie gala commences with an elegant gourmet dinner before leading into a full evening of Las Vegas-style entertainment. Guests will be treated to first-class performances paired with the night’s main event – a series of Olympic-style boxing bouts featuring local business leaders and influencers.

We are currently looking for “White Collar” and/or celebrity features to Fight to End Cancer! This is a one of a kind chance for the local community leaders, executives, and media figures to test their strength and perseverance by engaging in one of the hardest training regimes in order to participate in the toughest of sports.   Ultimately, all these athletes will face each other in the Fight To End Cancer.

This is your chance to be a part of an activity only a few can claim they have done! This is a unique chance to demonstrate the strength of your character and at the same time give back to the community that you built your success around. The Kingsway Boxing Club will facilitate training for the event. We welcome and encourage all who are interested in participating to book a complementary lesson, attend a Fight To End Cancer Information Session and/or visit the club.   In addition to special Fight Team training for the FTEC Fighters, once you register for the Fight To End Cancer, Kingsway Boxing Club will give you unlimited and complementary access to their facilities and amateur competitive training program leading up to the show.

Not really a fighter? No problem! In addition to fighting for a great cause you can headline your company with a number of sponsorship opportunities.

Still uncertain? Go to our website, (www.fighttoendcancer.com) and read past blogs, news articles, watch videos and find out if you have what it takes. Also take a look at the links listed below to help get a better idea of what the event is all about.

In order to ensure our participants get sufficient training we are looking to secure our “White Collar” fighters as soon as possible. Please contact us ASAP if you would like to join the Fight To End Cancer.

If you are ready to join the Fight To End Cancer, please fill out the initial application here:

Become A Fighter

Sincerely,

Jennifer Huggins, Executive Director
Fight To End Cancer

Let the Kingsway Boxing coaches and members from FTEC2014’s Fight Team, put you through the workout of your life! This introductory boxing session will give you the opportunity to experience, first-hand, the commitment that will be required to take part in the Fight To End Cancer’s 2015 event. In addition to training, we will be holding a Q&A session lead by past FTEC Fighters.

The decision to fight for such a meaningful cause, is one that will be life changing. Whether you embark on this journey for yourself, a family member or a friend who is, or has had to fight cancer, you are truly a hero. To better understand the challenges and commitments you would be taking on, please read through the material provided below and be sure to read our blogs.

Do you have what it takes to Fight To End Cancer?

Date and Time: Saturday September 27, 2014 – 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Kingsway Boxing Club (22 Jutland Rd. Unit B. Toronto ON.)

Register Now

Written by Steve Buffery, journalist for the Toronto Sun

Toronto once had a reputation as being a great boxing town. Unfortunately, that reputation has taken a beating in recent years. Montreal certainly holds many more cards — both pro and amateur — than it’s Upper Canada rival and seems to produce more quality fighters. However; there was a time when Toronto was the undisputed boxing capital of Canada, and thanks to people like Jennifer Huggins, owner and operator of Etobicoke’s Kingsway Boxing Club and organizer of the annual Fight To End Cancer gala event in support of Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, the sweet science seems to be on the upswing in these parts. And why not? Many people don’t realize, or have forgotten, how great of a boxing town Toronto once was; and how many great fighters — both professional and amateur — were developed and showcased in this town.

Toronto produced Olympic medalists Horace (Lefty) Gwynne, 1932 bantamweight champion, and Shawn O’Sullivan, the 1984 light-middleweight silver medalist (and son of a TTC bus driver), as well as a slew of world-ranked professionals, including the great heavyweight George Chuvalo, welterweights Sammy Luftspring, Donovan Boucher and Clyde Gray — a Commonwealth champion who fought for three world titles while later becoming Ontario boxing commissioner — lightweights Little Arthur King and Joey Bagnato, light-welterweight Nicky Furlano and light-heavyweight Eddie Melo. There was a time when fight cards were scheduled almost as frequently as Maple Leafs games.

In the so-called “modern” era of Toronto boxing, professional bouts have been held in grand stadiums like venerable Maple Leaf Gardens, and tiny venues like Winchester Public School in Toronto’s Cabbagetown District. Cards were also held regularly at the old Masonic Temple at Yonge and Davenport (later to become a CTV property), Varsity Arena — scene of a dynamic second-round knockout by Donovan Boucher over O’Sullivan in 1988 for the Canadian welterweight title — the Harbour Castle, Curzon Health Club, CNE Coliseum and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Each year, for the past 29 years, an annual professional black tie show has been held at Toronto’s Royal York Hotel in aid of the Shaw Festival, an event that has raised over a million dollars for the festival and showcased many of the area’s top fighters. Local promoters have also put on shows at the St. Lawrence Market, where once an unusually small crowd prompted a “smart-alecky” Toronto sports reporter to write that the MC began his introductions with ‘Lady and Gentleman!”. The Market also hosted the widely popular ‘So You Think You’re Tough’ shows.

Prior to 1970’s, cards were held frequently at Maple Leaf Gardens (site of the epic 15-round war between Chuvalo and Muhammad Ali in 1966), the old Maple Leaf Stadium, Mutual Street Arena (where, in 1938, Sammy Luftspring knocked out Frankie Genovese in the 13th round for the Canadian welterweight title), Oakwood Stadium and North York Centennial Arena. In his extraordinary new book ‘Chuvalo’ (co-written by Edmonton journalist Murray Greig), the former heavyweight champion writes about his first amateur bout at East York Arena, site of a weekly CBC amateur boxing program.

For a number of reasons, the game has suffered in recent years in Toronto and boxing cards have become few and far between. Thankfully, there are people like Huggins still involved in the game. The Etobicoke native is a one-woman wrecking crew in terms of promoting the sport. A National-level referee, as well as a former elite Canadian figure skater, Huggins is the brainchild behind the Fight To End Cancer, an event that matches business professionals inside the ring in serious competition. Though the show is not about showcasing up-and-coming amateur or professional fighters, the fights are no joke. Participants spend six months leading up to the event training under the watchful eye of Huggins and Kingsway Boxing Club/Fight To End Cancer head coach, Virgil Barrow. Everyone takes the matches very seriously. In boxing, you have to; there are no half measures in this sport.

“Chess is often used to describe the mindset inside the boxing ring between two opponents,” said Barrow. “As the Fight Team Captain, I would argue that it’s more like playing chess against yourself. You must train two people to fight each other and understand both fighter’s strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the day, corporate charity boxing is great for the sport. It allows people that never thought about boxing as an opportunity for them to step inside the ring, to fight for a great cause.”

The Fight To End Cancer is certainly a win-win-win proposition. The show raises needed funds for cancer research for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, gets traditionally non-boxing types involved in the sport, and reminds people that the sport is, and will always be, part of this great city.

3RD ANNUAL BLACK-TIE GALA DELIVERS OVER $85K IN COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Tuesday, June 10, 2014 -TORONTO, ON – The minute you stepped onto the red carpet you knew you were in for an evening like no other. Fight To End Cancer’s (FTEC) Third Annual black-tie gala was the biggest and most successful year yet! The sold out event hosted by the luxurious Old Mill Inn Toronto, brought together some of the city’s top executives and influencers who banded together and cheered on the 2014 Official Fight Team, as they stepped into the boxing ring to literally fight to end cancer; all in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

Five sanctioned Olympic Style Boxing matches were the perfect celebration for the commitment and hard work of the 2014 fighters. After over six months of intense training and fundraising; all ten fighters are true champions. FTEC’s motto ‘Defeat Is Not An Option’ is the reality for this team as they rallied together and raised an astounding $50,000.00 within their personal networks. Coupled with the night’s additional fundraising efforts at the gala, over $85,000.00 will be donated to the Princess Margaret in 2014! After three strong years of fundraising efforts, the Fight To End Cancer has now successfully raised $150,000.00 in direct donations to the hospital’s foundation.

Eagle Professional Resources, joined the team as FTEC’s first ever Title Partner. Having Eagle in the corner gave way for this years event to become a Knockout Success! Kevin Dee, Eagle’s CEO, had this to say about his company’s involvement for the year:

“At Eagle we will always support the communities in which we operate, that is our responsibility. When we are able to bring value to a first class event like the Fight To End Cancer, while supporting a fantastic cause, it just makes the giving that much more enjoyable. Great job by the organizers, unbelievable commitment and courage demonstrated by the fighters and a great night had by all.”

Through the hard work and dedication of Fight To End Cancer’s founder, Jennifer Huggins, and the entire executive planning team and volunteers, this fundraiser continues to grow each year. As they look to start planning for 2015, Jennifer took a moment to share her thoughts on this year’s successes:

“This years experience has been comparable to none. Each team involved in this years event have made it their personal mission Fight To End Cancer. What started as a personal vision, has now evolved into a journey shared by the fighters, volunteers, sponsors and guests.”

With incredibly strong interest from corporate executives who are already looking to join our
2015 fight team and companies approaching us to come on board as sponsors for next year and beyond; it appears as though Fight To End Cancer will be ‘lacing up’ for even greater future success. Our core mission to knock-out cancer in our lifetime, will be fulfilled. Believe it!

Non-boxers are given the chance to learn the sweet science and before stepping into the ring in the annual charity Fight To End Cancer bout.

Toronto Star Article By: Paul Hunter Feature reporter
Photos by: Spencer Wynn
Published on Fri May 30 2014

Dawn Ramsay-Brown’s eyes light up recalling the first time she was at the receiving end of a head-snapping, eye-watering punch. It was a left jab. She saw it coming, the glove growing bigger, then the sharp stinging pain.

“It was straight on. Right on the nose,” she says, practically gleeful at the memory. “I loved it. I thought, ‘Oh, I get to do this now. I get to hit back.’ It was fantastic.”

Jane Watson remembers the first time she landed a punch, a left jab that she knew would inflict damage. As most people would who don’t have fisticuffs in their DNA, she instinctively expressed remorse. Her coach made her do 30 burpees as punishment.

“I said, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,’ ” she recounts. “I felt totally guilty.You just don’t hit somebody. But you very quickly learn not to apologize.”

When eight men and two women are plucked from Toronto’s corporate community to train intensely for six months before participating in charity boxing matches — to hang up their suits and lace up their boots, as event founder Jennifer Huggins likes to say — there will be moments when raw, unfamiliar emotions are laid bare.

And there will be bruises.

That is part of the fascination behind the Fight To End Cancer, which Huggins started three years ago to raise money for research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. The concept is that non-boxers are given the chance to learn the sweet science and then take those skills into the ring at a gala at the Old Mill Inn and Spa. This year’s training will culminate on Saturday during an elegant, $2,000-a-table, black tie evening of gourmet dining, musical entertainment and amateur boxers trying to pound the snot out of each other in five, three-round bouts.

“It’s like a wedding but more fun; a wedding gone wrong,” says Ramsay-Brown.

The charity raised $160,000 in its first two years.

The best fight of the night last year, one that drew the most visceral reaction from the sold out crowd of more than 500, was between two women. Seeing females in the ring is not new. Women’s boxing was a demonstration sport at the 1904 Olympics and returned as a popular medal event at the London Games in 2012.

One of Canada’s highest profile athletes leading up to London was boxer Mary Spencer. Ireland’s Katie Taylor emerged from those Games as an international star after her gold medal win in the ring.

Still, two women — especially two successful executives — punching each other in the head is not something typically viewed while sipping Chardonnay.

“(Women) tend to be more nurturing,” says Watson. “It’s not really in us to go out there and hit.”

Huggins, herself a skilled boxer, referee and owner of a boxing gym, said there was no doubt she was going to include women in the charity gala but, she makes it clear, this is sport, not salacious spectacle.

She believes it is empowering for women to show themselves as physically strong to help break down stereotypes about their capabilities whether it be in the boxing ring or the boardroom.

“We don’t do foxy boxing,” says Huggins, referring to the sexualized fake matches in which women in revealing outfits pretend to fight each other usually for the entertainment of men in a bar.

“The women are not playing to their sex appeal. They are women but they’re playing to their strength and their power.”

Once an up-and-coming competitive figure skater, Huggins got into boxing as a complement to her rehab after she broke her neck in an on-ice fall at the age of 14.

“Nobody understood the switch but boxing is an individual sport as well. You’re on your own. Boxing struck a cord with me,” she says. “There’s so much more to boxing than just punching people in the face.”

While every effort is made to ensure the safety of the participants — they wear Olympic-style head protection and mouthguards — this is real training and real boxing. The volunteer pugilists make at least four visits to the gym each week, learning the chin-down-hands-up necessities, with some of those sessions lasting as long as three hours.

Watson, 50, has arrived at her swank downtown office some mornings with, depending on the previous night, a blackened eye, a bruised nose or the remnants of a bloody lip. She is a vice-president at Optimum Talent, a downtown agency that helps executives in career transition after they’ve lost their jobs.

“I have less body parts that don’t hurt than do,” says the Etobicoke resident. “But I’ve had so many friends, colleagues and family that have been affected by cancer in the last year. This is nothing in comparison to what they go through. They’re the ones that are fighting.”

Ramsay-Brown, who says she is in her mid-40s, owns an ad agency, Off To Market Inc., with her husband. She too has taken a physical pounding in preparation for her bout, including one punch from a male sparring partner that forced her to avoid contact for four weeks because of either whiplash or a concussion.

“I saw stars,” she says of the right hook that caught her flush on the side of her head. “The worst was I could hear it. I could hear my neck crack.”

Watson, a willowy five-foot-eight brunette, and Ramsay-Brown, a muscular blonde who is not quite five-feet, are as different in the ring as they appear out of it. During sparring this week at Huggins’ Kingsway Boxing Club in an industrial area of Etobicoke, Watson’s grace is on display as she glides about the canvas landing jabs and using her reach to full advantage. During her session — the boxers won’t face each other until they climb into the ring at the Old Mill — Ramsay-Brown is a powerful bulldog, coming in low, trying to use her diminutive stature as an advantage.

“It’s a strange dynamic because I’ve never seen two more different girls,” says Huggins.

While they are close in age and weight — a further safety requirement — out of the ring, they are also a study in contrast.

Watson is reserved, choosing her words carefully and economically. She has been participating in conditioning classes at Huggins’ gym for years and is exceptionally fit from running and tennis but is motivated by this event’s charitable aspect. The outgoing Ramsay-Brown is out-going and loquacious and she makes it clear that boxing has become an important component of her life. She’d been looking for a bout to test herself for more than a year.

Ramsay-Brown said her interest in boxing evolved out of her efforts to lose weight after the birth of her daughter seven years ago. One day, she was playing on the floor with baby Abbey and needed help to get back to her feet. Ramsay-Brown believed she had to change her sedentary lifestyle if she was going to see her daughter grow up.

“I couldn’t walk across the shopping mall parking lot,” says the East York resident who now does a 10-kilometre run twice a week in addition to her boxing training.

Like Huggins, she says there is a bigger message sent when women climb into the ring.

“I think as a women, particularly around my age, we were taught as young girls that fighting wasn’t allowed and wasn’t proper,” she says. “I think now it is so important that young girls understand that they can stand up for themselves. I think it’s important for girls to know it’s okay, they can hit someone.”

“I have a few girlfriends who have tried out the sport and that first hit in the face was when they backed down and said, ‘No, I think I’d just like to hit the bag.’ For myself, I found it so empowering. The idea that you could get hit and hurt lit that fire to keep going and to get stronger. (It) was just one of the most incredible feelings I’ve ever had. To find that fire at this age was just magical.”

Ramsay-Brown’s daughter takes karate lessons and she says she would encourage Abbey to pursue boxing if it interests her. Watson has two teenaged daughters and they too have taken boxing classes in the gym.

“It builds self-confidence, self-awareness, body awareness,” says Watson. “I like the challenge, the challenge is great.”

Both women say they would like to continue boxing as a form of exercise — Ramsay-Brown even says she would consider another bout — but Saturday, in the ring, is all about having an arm raised in victory.

“I don’t see it any other way in my head,” says Ramsay-Brown. “The winning is getting this far and doing this but I’m going to win. I think I want it more. Just flat out, I want it more.”

Watson, though a reluctant chirper, won’t be out-hyped.

“I’ve got reach on her. I’ve got height on her,” she says. “She’s going down.”

Fight To End Cancer’s Third Annual Gala in Support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation

Fight To End Cancer’s 2014 Fight Team at last Thursday’s Unofficial Weigh-in At Grace O’Malley’s in Downtown Toronto

WHEN: Saturday, May 31st, 2014 from 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Reception from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Dinner & pre-show entertainment from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Fights begin at 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Old Mill Inn | 21 Old Mill Road, Toronto, ON M8X 1G5

WHY: Ten courageous men and women have raised over $45,000.00 and have been training in Olympic-style boxing for the past six months, as they prepare to step into the ring for this important cause.

NOTE TO THE MEDIA:
This is a private event, for Full Event Itinerary and Media Access please contact: David Kelly, PR Director david@fighttoendcancer.com . You will find a brief rundown of the gala below, however allow time to checkin at reception on event day if you are planning for any live to air segments.

Media Itinerary

• 7:00 am – 5:00 pm – Event Tech and Setup
• 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Reception
• 6:00 pm – 7:15 pm – Dinner
• 7:15 pm – 8:00 pm – Pre-show and Speeches
• 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm – Charity Boxing Bouts

Thursday May 22, 2014 Original Article Printed By Metro – A group of brave amateur boxers stepped on a scale as part of an unofficial weigh-in at Entertainment District bar Grace O’Malley’s Thursday night.

The third annual Fight to End Cancer and gala, to take place on May 31, benefits the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. Ten white-collar men and women, with no prior boxing experience, have been raising money and training at the Kingsway Boxing Club for the past six months in preparation for the fight.

Grace O’Malley‘s is one of the event’s sponsors. Its general manager, Chris Taylor, had been planning to attend the event, but was unable to as he had received a potentially life-saving stem cell transplant to treat acute myeloid leukemia earlier in the week, after waiting for a donor match since 2012, when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. See Full Article

The Fight to End Cancer comes to The Old Mill on May 31

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – March 26, 2014) – Canada’s leading professional staffing company, Eagle Professional Resources Inc. (Eagle), is proud to announce that it will be the presenting title sponsor of the 3^rd Annual Fight To End Cancer. The event will feature ten “white-collar” men and women, with no prior boxing experience, who will literally be fighting to end cancer during a black-tie gala in support of Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation on Saturday, May 31, 2014.

Hanging up their suits and lacing up their boots all in the name of a good cause was the decision that each member of Eagle’s Fight To End Cancer 2014 Fight Team made when they volunteered to step into a boxing ring. The team is made up of executives from organizations across Toronto, including Eagle’s own Brendhan Malone, National Sales Director for Telecommunications. Having already been training for three months and well aware of the challenges to come over the next two months, Malone is both looking forward to the challenge and honoured to be part of the event.

“Preparing for my bout has already proven to be an extensive task and a rewarding experience,” said Malone. “Training sessions with the team at Kingsway Boxing Club have been intense, grueling and sometimes painful, but knowing that our small fight will contribute to the much larger fight to end cancer keeps us all motivated.”

This isn’t the first time a member of the Eagle Team has stepped into the ring for charity. In 2011, Eagle’s CEO, Kevin Dee, participated in Fight for the Cure, a similar fundraising event that took place in Ottawa. It was then and there that FTEC’s own founder and owner of Kingsway Boxing Club, Jennifer Huggins, first met Kevin as she worked as a coach in his corner for the Olympic-style boxing competition.

“This event provides much needed exposure and financial support to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, and its fight to end cancer. Jennifer Huggins’ vision and drive can be attributed to the success of this event and I am proud to be able to play a part in it,” said Dee. “I’m looking forward to an elegant evening with great food, great company, great entertainment and mostly the opportunity to give back with someone else giving blood!”

Through the involvement of business professionals, like the members of the Fight To End Cancer Fight Team and the companies they represent, the sport of boxing is finding a new lease on life – headlining fundraising events. With so many different fundraisers currently saturating the market, boxing is a welcome change from the status quo and has been enthusiastically embraced by corporate culture as a powerful, fun and inspirational way to raise money and help in the fight to find a cure.

The enthusiasm from members of the business community to get involved and support the cause through participation in the sport of boxing has been impressive. When asked for his input on why boxing seems to be such a desirable fundraising activity for corporate culture, Sonny Wong, Chief Official of Boxing Canada, said “In today’s health conscious society, we concentrate on healthy eating and staying fit. I can think of no better workout than a boxing program. Perhaps, the Fight To End Cancer draws in people who have come to a point in their lives where they are wanting to help make a change and the focus on fitness for them, is key. I think boxing’s benefits from a health point of view, plus the thrill of actually stepping in the ring and fighting for a good cause is important to people.”

Additionally, from his personal experience of training amateur corporate boxers, the Fight To End Cancer’s Fight Team Captain and head coach at Kingsway Boxing Club (official training facility for all FTEC fighters), Virgil Barrow, commented “Chess is often used to describe the mindset inside the boxing ring between two opponents. As the Fight Team Captain, I would argue that it’s more like playing chess against yourself. You must train two people to fight each other and understand both fighter’s strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the day, corporate charity boxing is great for the sport. It allows people that never thought about boxing as an opportunity – for them to step inside the ring, to fight for a great cause.”

Boxing is stepping back into the spotlight as a popular sporting experience, thanks in large part to charity boxing fundraisers like the Fight To End Cancer. Through financial support and physical participation from the business community, the great sport of boxing has entered a renaissance period – as a champion in philanthropy.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1813164#ixzz2xevMp0Ot

Fight To End Cancer – A Renaissance Tale in Philanthropy

The Fight To End Cancer proudly announces their Official 2014 Fight Team. Hanging up their suits and lacing up their boots all in the name of a good cause, was the decision that each member of Eagle’s Fight To End Cancer 2014 Fight Team made when they volunteered to step into a boxing ring. These ten “white-collar” men and women, with no prior boxing experience, will be literally fighting to end cancer at our third annual black-tie gala in support of Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation on Saturday, May 31, 2014.

Through the involvement of business professionals, like the members of our Fight To End Cancer Fight Team, and the companies they represent; the sport of boxing is finding a new lease on life headlining fundraising events. With so many different fundraisers currently saturating the market; boxing is a welcomed change from the status quo and has been enthusiastically embraced by corporate culture as a powerful, fun and inspirational way to raise money and help in the fight to find a cure. The Fight To End Cancer has seen tremendous support and interest from companies since its inception and now, as we approach our third year, we have the privilege of announcing Eagle Professional Resources as our presenting title sponsor for 2014’s event.

The enthusiasm from members of the business community to get involved and support the cause through participation in the sport of boxing, has been impressive. When asked for his input on why boxing seems to be such a desirable activity for corporate culture to embrace for fundraising; Sonny Wong, Chief Official of Boxing Canada, had this to share;

“In today’s health conscious society, we concentrate on healthy eating and staying fit. I can think of no better workout than a boxing program. Perhaps, the Fight To End Cancer draws in people who have come to a point in their lives where they are wanting to help make a change and the focus on fitness for them is key. I think boxing’s benefits from a health point of view, plus the thrill of actually stepping in the ring and fighting for a good cause is important to people.”

Additionally, the Fight To End Cancer’s Fight Team Captain and head coach at Kingsway Boxing Club (official training facility for all FTEC fighters), Virgil Barrow, had this to share from his personal experience of training amateur corporate boxers,

“Chess is often used to describe the mindset inside the boxing ring between two opponents. As the Fight Team Captain, I would argue that it’s more like playing chess against yourself. You must train two people to fight each other and understand both fighter’s strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the day, corporate charity boxing is great for the sport. It allows people that never thought about boxing as an opportunity for them to step inside the ring, to fight for a great cause.”

Boxing is stepping back into the spotlight as a popular sporting experience, thanks in large part to charity boxing fundraisers like the Fight To End Cancer. Through financial support and physical participation from the business community, the great sport of boxing has entered a renaissance period – as a champion in philanthropy.

Announcing Our Title Partner in the 3^rd Annual
Fight To End Cancer

The Fight To End Cancer (FTEC) team is honored to announce Eagle Professional Resources as our Title Partner for the third edition of our fundraising gala in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

This is the first time welcoming an Official Partner for the gala; and we couldn’t be more pleased with the honour going to the amazing team over at Eagle Professional Resources.

Eagle Professional Resources have been an incredible support system to FTEC right from the beginning. Since day one, they have been in attendance, cheering on the courageous fighters who step into the ring and have helped spread the word about our event and the important cause that it is helping to raise funds for. Eagle Professional Resources is owned and run by Kevin Dee; a long time believer in the importance of literally fighting to find a cure for cancer. Prior to his and Eagle’s attendance at the FTEC gala; Kevin was preparing diligently for his own boxing bout against cancer when he took part as a fighter at the Fight for the Cure event held in Ottawa a few years back.

It was then and there that FTEC’s own founder and owner of Kingsway Boxing Club, Jennifer Huggins, first met Kevin as she worked as a coach in his corner for the Olympic-style boxing competition. Kevin shares his thoughts on Eagle’s new role as Title Partner for FTEC’s 2014 event:

“This event provides much needed exposure and financial support to Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, and its fight to end cancer. It is because of Jennifer Huggins’ vision and drive that this event happens and I am proud to be able to play a part in the event’s success. I’m looking forward to an elegant evening with great food, great company and great entertainment.”

Through their brief, but intense first encounter, Jennifer and Kevin bonded over their mutual passion for the sport, the business and most importantly, the cause. Jennifer now proudly calls Kevin a great mentor and a great friend. In her own words, Jennifer shares her gratitude with both Kevin and the entire Eagle Professional Resources team.

“I couldn’t be more grateful having such a wonderful mentor and team behind my vision, and this important cause”, says Jennifer.

With just over two months left until the FTEC gala on Saturday, May 31st, 2014; the pressure is certainly starting to be felt by our 2014 fighters stepping in the ring to literally knock out cancer. Knowing that we now have this sponsor partnership from the Eagle Professional Resources team; the long road on our journey towards ending cancer now seems to have a guiding light up ahead…and it is being held by a supportive friend.

Making A Difference With Susan Hay

TORONTO — Training is under way at Kingsway Boxing Club for the third annual Fight to End Cancer. It’s a night of Vegas, meets Broadway, meets boxing.

Mitch Krystantos, one of this year’s participants, says the rigorous training runs six months before he can get into the ring.

“I’m going to get punched in the face, all for a good cause,” said Krystantos.

Krystantos has volunteered in The Hospital for Sick Children’s oncology unit for 15 years. Despite two hours of rigorous training, four days a week, he reminds himself why he signed up for the fight.

“I’m fighting for them,” Krystantos said. “I’m fighting for the many kids that aren’t around today and the ones that are still fighting for their lives. A six minute fight is nothing compared to what they have to go through.”

Owner of Kingsway Boxing, and Krystantos’ trainer, Jennifer Huggins, founded the Fight to End Cancer in 2011. She introduced it as a way to bridge charity with the corporate world and sports culture. All proceeds are directed to the highest priorities in cancer research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. So far over $70,000 has been raised this year for the foundation.

Over $100,000 was raised last year.

Participants are matched based on age, weight and skill. Huggins said it was difficult to match up Krystantos as he hones a background in martial arts. On fight night, five pairs will fight three, two-minute rounds.

“I’m hoping that we create awareness for the fact that you don’t have to be touched by the disease to actually help…cure cancer, and you don’t have to be a boxer to get in the ring and fight,” said Huggins.

This year’s fight will take place at the Old Mill in Toronto. Krystantos says the ultimate goal is to literally fight with the hopes to end cancer.

“There’s got to be a cure,” said Krystantos. “I (went) to more funerals last year, than I went to weddings. Something’s wrong with that picture.” Read More

What It Means To Fight To End Cancer

Words From The FTEC 2013 Co-Main Events – Kate Hillier vs. Shireen Fabing

Chosen as “fight of the night”at last year’s FTEC gala event; Shireen Fabing and Kate Hillier were definitely one of the main highlights of the night. We wanted to give them opportunity to share with our readers their personal recounts of what being a part of FTEC meant to them. Be sure to check out a very raw emotional re-telling of the journey these two strong women embarked upon before and after stepping into the 2013 FTEC ring…

“Hi Katie” there are only two people in the world that begin a conversation with me this way… my dad and Jen. When I got the call in early March I knew what I was signing up for, but I had no idea what I was signing up for. So it began, hours and hours of training. In the months prior where I had worked with Shireen helping her to gear up for the fight, suddenly we were “enemies” and forced to the opposite ends of the club. Sore and bruised doesn’t begin to explain it… and yes, I did tear up like a girl the first time someone hit me for real. But I was a boxer now and I’ll be damned if anyone was any the wiser.

Not since high school had I been a part of a fund raiser or asked for any kind of donation. You can imagine my surprise when I not only met my goal, but surpassed it. People came out of the woodwork; my entire family, friends (old and new). It was actually a complete stranger that was the first to donate. A good word from my loving and supportive boyfriend was all it took.

I can’t tell you much about the fight itself. There were a hell of a lot of punches thrown, I know that with certainty. I remember looking at my coach Mark after the first round wondering, exhausted, how I was going to make it through… but I did!
It’s everything that happened after that mattered most. The first person I saw coming out of the ring was my dad – who’s been fighting skin cancer – running up to meet me in his new Fight To End Cancer hat. Shireen’s mom pulled me aside to congratulate me. “Fight of the night”, that’s what we had earned. I smiled from ear-to-ear for days after. The congratulations and pride that those closest to me and complete strangers were expressing was humbling. The pride that I felt for what I had accomplished was overwhelming. On paper I had lost – but not in my heart.
I’m happy to say that my friendship with Shireen was only cemented by the event. We’re allowed to train side-by-side once again and even spar with each other for fun. We’ve got even more to share now in our new adventures as “mommies.”

-Kate Hillier

Why: I have been wanting to get into the ring since I took my first boxing class about 8 years ago…..so on and off I trained. I heard about FTEC and joined Kingsway Boxing in February 2012 and jumped on board to fight in the second annual event in 2013. Why is for many reasons but first and foremost I believe it’s worthy, noble and a very selfless cause. I’ve lost many people, close family and acquaintances to the disease over the last 3 years, an aunt currently fighting and my “second mom”, a breast cancer survivor – so the “why” was an easy one.

On my opponent Kate: Gym friends before. We sparred together now and again and before she jumped on board she was actually sparring with me to help me for the fight. Once she opted in we were not allowed to breathe the same air, when in the gym (the coaches made sure of it) and now months after one of the coolest nights; we’re friends…not just gym friends but we hang out etc. I couldn’t have asked for a better opponent. Professional, worked and trained hard coming in and we both kept it all in the ring. Our common goal (other than to win) was to BOX…not brawl, not catfight….BOX. If anything, we both wanted to show our supporters that we had technique and could do the sport justice and make our coaches proud. Check, check and check. The standing ovation and “fight of the night” win says it all.

Before: Training was the best part for me. I put in about 10 hours of training per week – in and outside the gym combined. I had never been so mentally strong or physically fit in my life. I loved the feeling after every good and not so good training/sparring session. During: Still no words to describe the adrenalin. Nerves, excitement, 500+ people watching including family, friends and colleagues….plus knowing you’re about to get punched in the face…there is no other rush. After: My hand raised at the end….amazing. Knowing I was part of an event that raised over $100K in its second year….I was proud and grateful to be a part of it. I also went through a VERY long withdrawal period.

-Shireen Fabing