Proceeds help women, transgenders continue their boxing journeys

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It was an evening that was about much more than girls in a boxing ring.

Punch Card: Producing Total Knockouts was all about honouring as well as raising funds for the first batch of graduates from the Shape Your Life program, an initiative that helps female and trans survivors of violence empower themselves and gain self-esteem through the sport of boxing.

The year-long Shape Your Life program, which is run through South Riverdale's Newsgirls Boxing Club, was created through a partnership with Newsgirls, Opportunity for Advancement, Jessie's Centre for Teenagers and Brock University.

The Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General's Victim Services Division is funding the program.

It has been so successful that several participants hope to continue their boxing journey as members of Canada's first women-only boxing club.

And that's how Punch Card: Producing Total Knockouts came about.

The fundraiser, which took place Thursday, April 10 at Newsgirls, featured soulful live music by singer/songwriter Mike Celia as well as boxing demonstrations from Cheryl "Surly" Christensen versus Rachel "Rocket" Brophy and Ali "Tank" Smith versus Amanda "Snakebite" Gallimore.

Shape Your Life participants Tomee Sojourner and Jacqueline Scott also shared their inspiring personal stories with the 150 people in attendance, as did Canadian female boxing pioneer Lanay Browning who offered her support to both the Toronto Newsgirls as well as Shape Your Life.

The program's proponents - its co-ordinator Jen Plyler, Newsgirls' founder Savoy Howe, Opportunity for Advancement's Joanne Green and Cathy van Ingen, a physical education and kinesiology professor at Brock University - also spoke at the event.

Further, Punch Card included a silent auction and a unique boxing demonstration from the Fight Factory group.

Proceeds from the event will be used to fund one-year memberships to the Toronto Newsgirls Boxing Club for Shape your Life graduates.

A seven-member team of students from Centennial College's corporate communications and public relations program produced Punch Card.