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05/11/2005 Archived Entry: "KNOTT ST BOXING CLUB BENEFIT SMOKER"
KNOTT ST BOXING CLUB BENEFIT SMOKER
Saturday, May 14 starting at 5 p.m.
OUTDOORS at Catalina’s Restaurant, 10902 NE Sandy(corner of 109th & NE Sandy) in Portland, OR.
Phone: 971-404-5876 for information
General Admission $10
$50 gets a ringside seat plus an excellent Mexican dinner at Catalina’s and four beers. (adults only)
Expect lively action and a cheerful atmosphere. Seven amateur boxing clubs from the Pacific Northwest will compete in Junior and Open Senior matches. This event is sanctioned by the Oregon Association of U.S. Amateur Boxing Inc.
Knott St Boxing Club is a non-profit organization run and funded entirely by volunteers. Based at Matt Dishman Community Center since 1951, the Knott Street Club program has trained more than a dozen national amateur champions, 2 U.S. Olympic Team members, many top ten rated professional boxers from Thad Spencer and Ray Lampkin to former world jr. Lightweight champion Stephen Forbes, and generations of coaches who have gone on to volunteer their time to the young people of the community.
Since 2000, the City of Portland Parks & Recreation Department no longer supports any boxing programs. The Knott Street Boxing Club continues at the city facility, Matt Dishman Community Center because volunteer coaches John Peters, Joel Caldera, and Rudy Garza pay out of their own pockets to rent the boxing room, pay for insurance, and provide equipment for the many boxers, age 8 to 25, that they train. Knott Street is one of only two amateur boxing clubs still in existence in Portland. In its current incarnation, Knott Street continues the fine training traditions, fielding state and regional champions in the national rankings.
Coach Joel Caldera, a multiple Oregon State Golden Glove Champion, grew up training at Knott Street, and has devoted his time to the program as a volunteer coach for many years. Caldera owns and operates Catalina’s Restaurant, and this is the second Knott Street Benefit Smoker that he has hosted in the restaurant’s parking lot. The first event, in the summer of 2004, demonstrated excellent competition, and drew a strong positive response from the audience.
