2022

• New NYC Cops & Kids Fitness Center opens at the Berry Homes in Dongan Hills, Staten Island.

News Story:

A RISING BOXER

The original facility is where 17-year-old Anthony Laieta of Dongan Hills trains as a boxer, and after months of hard work he won the NYC Ring Masters in the 132-pound weight division this past spring.

The public is invited to the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 3, at 2 p.m. to celebrate the expansion of the boxing gym to include a general fitness center, located at 1754 Richmond Rd. And it will be a day to recognize the success of the existing youth boxing program, which also has locations in the Park Hill Apartments and in Brooklyn, and look to its future growth, Russo said.

The eight-year-old Dongan Hills boxing program attracts about 200 participants, he said, with 40 to 50 showing up daily. The goals of the program are simple, he said: “We need to distract these kids from abhorrent behavior. We need to mentor these kids and put them on the right track.’’

With help of the New York City Housing Authority, which provided the rent-free space at the encouragement of Assemblyman Michael Cusick, and several non-profit and corporate donors, renovations on the existing boxing facility began about six months ago.

The free boxing program sprouted after community policing initiatives revealed a need for a program to distract young people from drugs and gangs. It keeps humming, thanks to three NYPD volunteer coaches and additional volunteers, Russo said. The program has done so much more than form a boxing team, he said, noting that many of the participants have gone on to become police officers.

“It’s recruitment,’’ he said. “It’s crime prevention. And it’s building a relationship between local at-risk youth and police officers.” The free NYC Cops & Kids program also has an educational initiative component to it, Russo said. “Any kid that gets a 90 average on a report card gets a $50 bill from a cop,’’ he said. Additionally, the high schooler in the program with the highest average at the end of each school year is awarded a $1,000 check from the NYPD Boxing Team, he explained.

The planning of the ribbon-cutting ceremony was a lot of work, Russo admitted. But it was necessary to highlight the good the program has done and will continue to do, he said. “We need to advertise the good kids in the neighborhood who are doing the right thing,’’ he said.

The program, including the construction of the new gym, is funded by the NYPD Boxing Team and sponsors, including: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC); Dana Ford; the New York Giants; National Grid; the city Department of Corrections; the FDNY, and The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers foundation, among others.

“Boxing is a carrot on a stick to attract these kids and keep them off the street. Not every kid wants to box, but they all want to be physically fit and work out, and they all want to be part of a positive program.”

https://www.silive.com/news/2022/07/nyc-cops-kids-boxing-expands-staten-island-facility-to-offer-free-fitness-gym-to-youth.html