To Serve and to Heal

The 13th Annual "Fight for Life" boxing tournament, benefiting the City of Hope Cancer Center, took place on Friday, January 12, 2007, at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello.  A crowd of 1,200 people attended the popular charity event that puts members of the boxing teams from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the ring to battle their East Coast counterparts from the New York Police Department (NYPD).  The event raised more than $40,000.  City of Hope is a bio-medical research and treatment center dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Opening ceremonies included a moment of silence to honor and recognize fallen officers from the past year. Special tribute was paid with a 10 count in remembrance of Los Angeles Sheriff Deputy Gerardo (Jerry) Ortiz who fell in the line of duty on Friday, June 24, 2005.  Deputy Ortiz, a known boxing enthusiast, was a member of the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department Boxing Team.

The fight card featured nine bouts scheduled for three boxing rounds, three minutes each. Fighting out of the blue corner was LAPD, with Officer Rudy Barragan, Newton Area, as team coach.  "Tonight's fights exceeded every expectation I had," said a jubilant Officer Barragan, whose team picked up six victories. "This event was put together very fast.  Each of the NYPD boxers did such a great job.  David Sive, coach of the NYPD team, did an outstanding job tonight."