Junior middleweight knockout artist Chris Giilbert (11-1, 9 KOs) will headline the 13th annual Fight To Educate (FTE) Pro-Am boxing event, Thursday night, September 18 at Verizon Wireless Center in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Fight To Educate, presented in part this year by Matrix Aerospace, is a unique charity event that combines a love of boxing with the vision of assisting children and seniors in need who without fundraisers like this could be ‘down for the count.’ During the past 12 years, Fight To Educate has raised more than $750,000 in donations benefiting local New Hampshire non-profit organizations.
This year’s attending Boxing Legends include former world middleweight champion Vito Antuofermo (50-7-2, 21 KOs), world heavyweight title challengers Chuck “Bayonne Bleeder” Wepner (25-14-2, 17 KOs) and Earnie “The Acorn” Shavers (74-14-1, 68 KOs), and two-time World Boxing Association heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz (44-9-1, 30 KOs).
“We are extremely excited about the forthcoming 13th annual FTE extravaganza,” FTE Chairperson Stephen Singer said. “In addition to hosting such iconic boxing legends such as Vito Anteofermo, Chuck Wepner, Earnie Shavers and John Ruiz at the event, our card promises an incredible night of heart-pounding action. This year’s recipient charities include New Horizons, our food pantry and soup kitchen, the SEE Science Center and the Bobby Stephen Foundation for Education.”
Gilbert, who fights out of Windsor, Vermont, will be fighting in the Fight To Educate for the fourth time. He is scheduled to face an opponent to be determined in the eight-round main event.
In the six-round co-feature, Portland, Maine’s undefeated middleweight Russell “The Haitian Sensation” Lamour (9-0, 4 KOs) will face TBA. Also scheduled to fight on the pro segment of the FTE card is unbeaten Whitman, Mass. middleweight Mark “The Italian Bazooka” DeLuca (10-0, 7 KOs) vs. Zain Shah (5-3, 3 KOs), of Centreville, Virginia, and popular West Forks, Maine junior welterweight prospect Brandon “The Cannon” Berry (6-0, 4 KOs) vs. Fred Mandrachia (0-2), of Plymouth, Mass.
Two amateur matches featuring local boxers will open the live action. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Proceeds from the 13h annual Fight To Educate will benefit SEE Science Center (www.see-sciencecenter.org), The Bobby Stephens Fund for Education (www.stepheneducationfund.com), and New Horizons for New Hampshire.
Tickets, priced at $50.00 and $25.00 (general admission), $10 tickets for Veterans and Senior Citizens 60+, are available to purchase at the Verizon Wireless Arena Box office, by going online at
http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/8748/1616837/?brand=verizonarena
Call Stephen Singer at 603.669.4100 for more details about sponsorship opportunities, including VIP table (of 8 for $1000) sponsorships for a night of professional boxing and Black Tie dinner. This special offer also includes an auction and meet-and-greet with the aforementioned boxing legends Antuofermo, Wepner, Shavers and Ruiz.
The dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. ET, doors for boxing open at 7:30 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
Visit www.fight2educate.com or www.verizonwirelessarena.com for additional information.
