From the inbox today comes details on the imminent Aprons For Gloves tryouts. Get ready to put up your dukes!

On April 22 and 23 Aprons for Gloves Boxing Association will host tryouts for the 2017 Restaurant Rumble at Eastside Boxing Club (238 Keefer St.). In its sixth year, Vancouver’s annual boxing fundraiser compels local bartenders, baristas, barbers and butchers to trade in their aprons for a pair of boxing gloves and face off to raise funds for Eastside Boxing Club’s at-risk youth programs. The main fight night event will return to the Commodore Ballroom on Thursday, July 27th, 2017.

No previous boxing training is required to become an Aprons For Gloves contender, only a commitment to raise the required funds for the youth programs and complete the intensive training regiment. Eligibility is open to all service sector employees or anyone sponsored by a Metro Vancouver employer within the industry.

Fight night matchups will be announced on July 4th, followed by fighter weigh-ins on July 26th, and the main event on July 27th. Tickets for the Restaurant Rumble will be available via Ticketmaster in July at varied prices, including private box seats with table service.

“This is an exciting year for our Restaurant Rumble,” said Coach Dave Schuck, Head Coach at Eastside Boxing Club. “We celebrated a milestone fifth anniversary last year and broke records with Contender sign ups and fundraising. The impact on our youth programs was seen immediately following AFG – we jumped from having the kids in here three days a week, to five – and I know we will top that in 2017.”

In an effort to keep the annual fundraiser fresh, and also recognize the recurrent participation from many of Vancouver’s service industry establishments, a new team element will be added to this year’s main fight night event.

“Our alumni are the foundation of Aprons for Gloves each year. Some want another chance at a title fight belt, some want to share the incredible training experience with a friend or colleague, and others simply believe in what we are doing and will continue to help us fundraise year after year. Regardless of their reasons, we rely on the alumni’s continued participation,” said Tavia Cosper, Director at Aprons for Gloves Boxing Association. “We’ve had local restaurants and coffee shops sign up multiple contenders every year, and those businesses deserve recognition for that massive contribution. This year the top two fundraising teams will get a fighter on the card for the main event at the Restaurant Rumble as a way for us to show our sincere appreciation.”

Since reopening their doors in September 2015, Eastside Boxing Club has partnered with several different community organizations and introduced nearly 100 at-risk youth to boxing. The partnerships Eastside Boxing Club has established have helped at-risk youth and children gain access to nutritious food, medical assessments, and one-on-one support from youth workers at Network of Inner City Community Service Society and Britannia’s youth engagement projects.

Locals working in the service sector who are interested in trying out for the 2017 Restaurant Rumble can sign up at apronsforgloves.com.

About Aprons for Gloves Boxing Association | Founded in 2012, Aprons for Gloves Boxing Association is a non-profit organization focused on providing community outreach through the sport of boxing. Based in Vancouver’s historic Gastown community, the organization was developed by a small group of professionals and entrepreneurs who seized an opportunity to re-establish a historic boxing program for at-risk women and youth in the city’s Downtown Eastside. The program offers free mentorship and training to individuals who may otherwise not have the resources or support to participate in such activities. The sport of boxing teaches discipline, respect, hard work and self-control, and training results in positive self-esteem, good health and camaraderie for its participants. For more information, please visit apronsforgloves.com.

About Eastside Boxing Club | Eastside Boxing Club (ESB) is a not-for-profit gym located at the heart of Chinatown in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside that trains pro, amateur and recreational boxers. Dave Schuck founded the gym in 2012 after the closure of the Astoria Boxing Club, where he was the head coach. Working with several non-profit organizations in Downtown Vancouver, ESB is committed to continuing to facilitate free exercise programs for at risk youth and women that have been exposed to violence. Believing that everyone deserves accessibility to exercise, the ESB mission is to be an inclusive, community focused gym that delivers high quality boxing training. For more information, please visit eastsideboxingclub.com.