Longmont-based La Familia Boxing partnered up with the YMCA to host its fifth annual car show next weekend to send at-risk youth to boxing matches and to provide them with safety gear.
“In order to fund the programs for these kids and send them to various boxing competitions nationwide, we host this annual car show in Longmont every year,” La Familia Boxing owner Randy Lopez said.
The car show fundraiser will be June 19 at the Longmont YMCA, 950 Lashley St., from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The car show is free to attend and open to all residents. Anyone can enter a vehicle into one of the 11 categories and registration is $25. Residents who want to enter may do so the day of the event before 10 a.m. by going to the YMCA parking lot or they can contact La Familia Boxing on its Facebook page and speak to Randy Lopez.
“We have some fun categories as always and they are all so hard to judge for first, second and third places,” Lopez said, “but my favorite category is the rat rod one because it shows the individual car owners personality and spunk and those are always just so very cool to see.” He said in years prior, the organization has seen some unique rat rod designs that went on to be featured in national car shows.
Participants can register to enter the following categories: Hot rod, Muscle, Classic, Custom, Ladies class, Sports, Trucks, Lowriders, Rat rod, In progress and bike.
“Aside from first-through-third places in each category we will have four additional special awards this year,” Lopez added. Those categories include: Best in Show, Best in Show runner-up, Most unique, and La Familia Pick.
“I started this nonprofit because in the ’70s I was constantly getting myself in trouble on the streets of Denver — until I found boxing and discovered that sports is the way safely off and out of the streets,” Lopez said. His hope with La Familia Boxing is to be able to give other at-risk youth in Longmont the same opportunities he had to get off the streets and prevent them from joining gangs, going to jail or using drugs.
“We have had tremendous support from the community to help mentor these kids — especially from Northern Colorado Line X and Truck Gear, Marv’s Quality Towing and Vista Auto Sales with all of the support they provided,” Lopez said. “However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we need more support now more than ever.”
Lopez said this is the first fundraising event the organization has been able to host since the pandemic began and has recently paid out-of-pocket to continue to offer the programs that keep underserved youth off the streets.
“Because we are a 501c3 nonprofit, any resident who donates or enters the car show will be able to keep their receipts for next year’s taxes,” Lopez added.
“At the end of the day we are sending these kids to competitions to give them the opportunity to not only learn about themselves but see that life isn’t always about the cards they have been dealt.”
Lopez wanted to share this message to all at-risk youth in the area, “with dedication, commitment, respect and honor the things that it takes to be a good fighter, is what it takes to be a good person. If you dedicate yourself to any kind of sport with those qualities, traits — you’re going to turn out to be an excellent human being.”
The Link LonkJune 10, 2021 at 11:01PM
https://www.timescall.com/2021/06/10/la-familia-boxing-and-longmont-ymca-to-host-car-show-to-send-at-risk-youth-to-matches
La Familia Boxing and Longmont YMCA to host car show to send at-risk youth to matches - Longmont Times-Call
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