Brea, California (PRWEB) August 21, 2010
Western Beef & Seafood, LLC, a gourmet meat and seafood company, has teamed up with Tony Cifuentes, the founder of the Highlanders Boxing Club (a locally based community club that offers youth classes in the sport of boxing, teaching respect, strength & leadership). The Highlander's mission statement and motto is rich: "Building Champions 4 Life." The goal of both entities pairing up together to help troubled youth is a strong tale that is vibrantly enhanced by the life story of Tony Cifuentes--the founder of the club--and his commitment to the community and giving back by doing his all to help troubled youths.
Originally Tony was a disturbed youth himself. The 31 year old transplant from Los Angeles to Highland, California was known to be a local menace and a troublemaker by a San Bernardino Sheriff. Tony notes that the sheriff once warned him firmly that, "it would be his (the sheriff's) goal to see Tony in jail for life or dead." That statement signified a change in Tony's life for the better.
One day, Tony befriended Mario Perez at the Azteca Gym. He found that boxing was a release for him. With the help of Mario, Tony learned that boxing was for 'smart people,' as Tony so poignantly puts it.
"You use a jab as a blind man uses a cane…the jab is a way to feel around," Cifuentes explains.
Boxing gave Tony a sense of purpose and pride in his newly found sport. More importantly, it got him off the streets and out of trouble. The sport changed him forever, and in 2005 he wanted to give back, so he founded the Highlander Boxing Club.
The Highlanders Boxing Club takes in boys and girls, teaching them the many merits and facets of respect, strength and leadership, as is noted on their business cards. Through a nearly non-existent budget, Tony still manages to keep the lights on in his small warehouse off of 6th Street. He has over thirty youths that are busy training there every day. More importantly, they are kids that are off the streets and not getting in trouble with gangs or drugs.
Over the past year, Western Beef & Seafood's fundraisers have certainly helped with Tony's quest in keeping the doors open. In an ongoing mission to aid his kids, Tony views the fundraisers as a great program with a rather simple premise at heart: These kids must eat; their parents will purchase our products; and the Highlanders Boxing Club benefits. At the last fundraising event that they held, each child in the boxing club averaged around $19 profit that will go towards the future operations of the club.
Tony's story and the boxing club are an integral part of the community and giving back, according to Andy Diaz, the CEO of Western Beef & Seafood, LLC.
"The plan is to change our menu choice of our fundraisers so the fundraiser is ongoing and we can do our part to aid Tony with his aspirations for giving back to the community--while keeping our kids off the streets, away from drugs and gangs, and out of harm's way by instilling strong moral values within them," Diaz explains.
During a visit to the club, Diaz reflects, "As I approached the gym for the first time a coach yells out, 'We have a visitor, line up!' The kids stopped doing jumping jacks and formed a single line, and I noticed that there were smiles on their faces with their hands held out to shake mine…I was amazed! I asked Tony, 'What's all this about?' He replied: 'Respect, courtesy and learning how to properly greet a visitor!'"
Following a quick tour of the place, Diaz noted that the equipment--all hand-me-downs--comprising some cracked mirrors on the walls and a small boxing ring in the back, was astoundingly enough to encourage kids to learn some valuable life lessons and morals.
Diaz recants his first experience at the club by further saying, "With a great big smile on his face, Tony showed me the trophy wall; a collection of trophies and accolades gathered by his 'kids.' He was so proud!"
During that first meeting Diaz remembers Tony telling him about the countless phone calls and letters he receives from time to time. The calls are all from principals, police officers, counselors and probation officers that have seen a change for the better in a particular boy or girl, due to Tony's influences upon them at the boxing club.
"The real satisfaction is that these kids are off the streets and the potential to do good is here," Cifuentes explains.
Diaz fondly closes by stating, "Western Beef & Seafood is proud to be associated with Tony Cifuentes and the Highlanders Boxing Club, and the many future planned fundraising with food events that are being coordinated to help aid Tony in his lifelong pursuit of doing his part to help the community, as is in par with our mission statement and ideology: Giving back to those who are in need!"
Western Beef & Seafood, LLC & the Highlanders Boxing Club have many more fundraising with food events that are planned in the near future.
For more information about the Highlanders Boxing Club you can write them by US mail at: 26127 6th Street, Highland, CA 92346; or contact them by phone at: (951) 385-6180.
For more information about Western Beef & Seafood, please visit them online at: http://www.WesternBeefandSeafood.com.
About Western Beef & Seafood:
Western Beef & Seafood, LLC is a gourmet meat and seafood company that has been located in Brea, California since 1982. They specialize in supplying higher-grades of beef, natural chicken and the freshest seafood to home consumers. Western Beef delivers locally to all of Southern California with a fleet of vehicles, and ships to the rest of the country via courier. For more information about Western Beef & Seafood, please visit them online at: http://www.WesternBeefandSeafood.com. For more information on fundraising with food, please contact Andy Diaz at Western Beef & Seafood, LLC at: (800) 371-2283.
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