Yuma County Youth Boxing Association
PMB #251
1107 S. 5th Avenue
Yuma, AZ 85364
Tel / Fax: (928) 373-0653
Email:

NEWS RELEASE

The City of Oxnard honors Yuma, Arizona's Fred & Hedi Block with the Keys to the City.

Homecoming for founding members of La Colonia Youth Boxing Association, Inc. (1990 - 1992) will be at Oxnard's Centennial Boxing Event, 1:00 p.m. Saturday, November 16th at the Police Activities League gym housed at the old Oxnard High School. Fred and Hedi, as President and Treasurer, spearheaded the successful drive to save the famed La Colonia Boxing Club.

Fred and Hedi Block were runner-ups for Yuma's 2001 Philanthropist of the Year Award for their volunteer efforts to establish and administer Arizona's largest and most active Olympic-Style Boxing program (1999 - present).

The Blocks, owners of the Olfactory Corporation, which maintains its' corporate headquarters in Ventura, CA since moving part of its' operation to Arizona in 1992, are active volunteer officials of USA Boxing, the National Governing Body of amateur boxing. They will be in uniform and be active as judges at this Saturday's festive event.

In 1991, La Colonia Youth Boxing Association, partnered with the city of Oxnard to apply for and receive grants of nearly $300,000 to repair the gym located at 520 E. 1st Street when it was found earthquake unsafe. The Blocks hosted the 1991 So. California Junior Olympic Championship at their building in Channel Island Business Center. Thomas "Hitman" Hearns was among the celebrated guests to help Oxnard's youth at this event. Later in 1992, LCYBA brought the Golden Boy, Oscar de la Hoya, to the Ventura Armory at a fund raiser for La Colonia Boxing Club.

Now a decade later, Fred and Hedi's Yuma County Youth Boxing Association regularly hosts its' Ringside Challenge series of boxing events where La Colonia Boxing Club boxers participate. On October 26, 2002, both La Colonia and YCYBA shared the best team trophy at just such an event "Ringside Challenge 13", in Yuma.

For further information:
Call (928) 919-0346

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