Battle on the Beach boxing fundraiser for NJ youth

Long Branch — Get ready to rumble in Long Branch on July 6 for the 3rd annual Battle on the Beach fundraising boxing event for New Jersey Give a Kid a Dream (NJGAKAD), a non-profit organization for youth.

Organized in partnership with the City of Long Branch Recreation Department and its Director, Carl Jennings, NJGAKAD will host a youth boxing fundraising match sanctioned by the New Jersey Association of USA Boxing to showcase the talent of these exceptional amateur boxers starting as young as 8 years old.

Boxing fans, community supporters and families will gather to watch over 10 exciting championship bouts and cheer on local New Jersey Olympic amateur boxers. Join us at the Great Lawn (located on Ocean Avenue between Ocean Place Resort and Rooney’s) at 2 p.m. on July 6 and help raise funds for at-risk youth in the New Jersey community.

Guests will include Long Branch town officials, local press and several boxing professionals, including Iran Barkley and Mark Breland.

“Children live up to what you believe of them and we believe all of our children are capable of accomplishing greatness,” NJGAKAD founder Jackie Atkins said. “We are honored to have such a committed team who believe our youth are worth fighting for and are willing to make the investment. No other investment yields as great a return as the investment in our children.”

NJGAKAD is adding outreach to this year’s event and will also partner with Team 412 organization to host 10 youth from Pittsburgh, Penn. This will be their first time traveling out of state as a team and first time experiencing the beaches of New Jersey.

“We are so lucky to have these youth visit to participate in Battle on the Beach from Pittsburgh as their first time leaving their hometown,” Atkins said, adding that the group will be hosted at her home. “It’s lots of firsts for these kids. They are very excited and so is the coach!”

Most importantly, guests will get to support this terrific program for at-risk youth which combines the best of social services and the sweet science of boxing with essential life skills.

All proceeds will go towards providing programs for the youth as well as scholarships. Donations can be made at the NJGAKAD website.

For sponsorship opportunities, please email njgakad@gmail.com.

One of the programs is the newly-launched “Girls in Gloves.” Youth in this program recently met Unified Champion Claressa Shields before her championship match in April. Shields spoke to the youth about making positive choices and taking control of their destiny, which is a concept taught in the NJGAKAD program.

Children in the program receive boxing training at the legendary Gleason’s Gym Jersey Shore, tutoring for schoolwork and learn pertinent life skills through trips and excursions to become Champions of Life.

With a track record of creating national boxing champions through programs she built from scratch, two time Ringside World Champion, National Golden Glove Champion & NJ Martial Arts kickbox Champion Jackie Atkins turns the experience of coaching into tremendous success stories.

Out of every 10 high school students, three to four students do not meet criteria to obtain their high school diplomas, according to national statistics. NJGAKAD, however, boasts a 100 percent success rate because every single participant since the program’s inception has obtained his or her high school diploma. In 2019, all middle school youth achieved an 85 or higher academic average and improved their attendance thanks to mentors who invest in this program and provide counseling to the youth.

All proceeds will benefit 501c3 organization New Jersey Give a Kid a Dream, a program dedicated to NJGAKAD’s Champions of Life. To donate, visit the NJGAKAD donation page. For sponsorship opportunities, please email njgakad@gmail.com.

For more information about the New Jersey Give a Kid a Dream’s Battle on the Beach, please visit the NJGAKAD website: http://njgakad.com/.