Justin "Untouchable" Thibault lands a hard punch square in "Young" Sean McCormick's face.
One week remains until the community gets to witness high-schoolers box for a good cause.
The 23rd-annual Night of Fights begins with the Calcutta auction Monday at 6 p.m. at Sandwinds before the fighting takes place next Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Venturacci Gym.
“We have been trying to get anywhere between 12 and 15 fights each year,” Fallon wrestling coach Trevor de Braga said of the fundraising event for his program. “It has been a longtime tradition for fundraising for the wrestling team. The reason it’s so successful is because it’s a once-a-year event so people look forward to it annually. This fundraiser is great for our wrestling program because it’s a way to make great money and the kids don’t have to go door to door asking for donations or asking people or businesses to buy fundraising discount cards, especially when everyone in Fallon buys or supports all the other teams.”
The only fundraiser for the Greenwave wrestling team, although another one is in the works later this year, features wrestlers and fellow high-school students turning into boxers for one night. Proceeds help de Braga’s team afford new gear and cover travel fees to tournaments outside Nevada.
“We firmly believe the success of the program is based on travel. We think that’s kind of the key to success and that’s what we hope to continue to do,” Greenwave Wrestling Booster Club’s Missy McCormick said.
VIP tables are going fast and this week, only five were available, which is higher than last year’s event when 21 of the 28 tables were sold.
“We consider ourselves ahead of the game with kids not knowing who’s fighting yet,” McCormick said. “We are excited about that. We’re still trying to sell tables.”
VIP tables for six are available for $250 and include ring-side seating, BBQ dinner, beverages and dessert. Name and business will be displayed during the vent. Businesses bid on the boxers on Monday prior to the fight card being released.
“It’s lots of people who have been longtime supporters in the past,” McCormick said about the VIP table purchases. “A couple are new businesses who want to support. We’re really excited about the mix of people supporting it.”
If you miss out supporting the team through Night of Fights, there could be another opportunity this summer. Details are still being worked on.
“We are talking about doing another fundraiser in August for the wrestling team,” McCormick said. “It has worked out very well for programs in the past to travel to Idaho, Utah, Southern Nevada and California. Or, the alternative is we wrestle the same Elko kid six times or the same Winnemucca kid six times.”
For more information on the Night of Fights, contact Missy McCormick at 775-427-2641.
