From our friends at Aprons for Gloves:

Aprons for Gloves Boxing Association is pleased to announce the fight lineup for the 2016 Restaurant Rumble. Set to take place on Wednesday, July 27th at the Commodore Ballroom, this is the fifth anniversary of the charity-boxing tournament that raises funds for Eastside Boxing Club’s at-risk youth programs. Participants ranging from bartenders to baristas have been selected to fight in this year’s Restaurant Rumble and are collecting donations at apronsforgloves.com. Tickets are now on sale for the 2016 Restaurant Rumble and can be purchased at ticketmaster.ca.

Participants in this year’s Restaurant Rumble work in restaurants across the Lower Mainland. Announced on Sunday, July 10th, the official title fight lineup sees fighters like Darren Gee from Farmers Apprentice and John Quigaman from Italian Kitchen battle it out in the ring. Other fights include: Spencer Viehweger (Matchstick) vs. Colter Jones (Lucky Donuts), Katherine O’Brien (Steamworks) vs. Kezia Nathe (Save on Meats), Charlotte Harris (The Anchor Eatery) vs. Jillian Brooks (EXP Restaurant and Bar), Lara Bannister (Brewery and the Beast) vs. Julia Comu (Pidgin) and Miles Thompson (The Cascade Room) vs. Jay Coleman (Commodore Ballroom). There are also 22 Undercard fights taking place throughout the day.

“This year’s Restaurant Rumble is bigger and better than ever,” said Coach Dave Schuck, Head Coach at Eastside Boxing Club. “This is the first year the gym has been up and running with our programs in-place. I know it’s a direct result of the support this event has received from the community.”

This is the first year Aprons for Gloves Boxing Association is hosting the Restaurant Rumble at the Commodore Ballroom. Previously hosted at the SFU Woodwards building, the main event is moving to a larger facility due to increased public interest. Staying true to their East Vancouver roots, Aprons for Gloves credits former partner Gastown BIA to their growth and is always looking for new event sponsors and partnership opportunities.

“Aprons for Gloves wouldn’t be where it is today without our past supporters and sponsors. We have to make a special mention of the Gastown BIA and SFU Woodwards,” said Tavia Cosper, Director at Aprons for Gloves Boxing Association. “The fact that we’ve outgrown the space we’ve used for the past four years is a good problem to have. We’re so thankful to everyone who has supported us along the way as well as the East Vancouver community for making this event such a success.”

Since reopening their doors in September 2015, Eastside Boxing Club has partnered with several different community organizations and introduced 67 at-risk youth to boxing. The partnerships Eastside Boxing Club has established has 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.

For more information on Aprons for Gloves Restaurant Rumble or to donate to one of the fighters please visit apronsforgloves.com. To purchase tickets for the 2016 Restaurant Rumble go to ticketmaster.ca.