Central Los Angeles : Boxers Donate $10,000 to Inner-City Games

Surrounded by fans, members of the LAPD’s Hollenbeck Division, community leaders and youngsters, Eastside boxing champs Oscar De La Hoya and Paul Gonzales presented a check to the Hollenbeck Inner-City Games this week in what De La Hoya called an effort to “open the doors for the youth of today that need help.”

The $10,000 check, which is scheduled to become an annual grant, is destined to enable the Inner-City Games to operate year-round rather than only during the summer.

“This event is very important for us because we grew up in the neighborhoods of East L.A. and we know how tough it can be if you don’t have role models,” De La Hoya said.

The Inner-City Games, which for the past five years have rewarded academics and sports, affect about 100,000 inner-city youths every year.

The grant given by the two boxers would allow the games to become a year-round event as early as the first of next year, according to Mike McClure, program director for the Hollenbeck Youth Center.