Locals came out in droves to the Fernie Community Centre on Saturday, Feb. 7 for Judgement Night — a boxing event put on to raise funds for six-year-old Shyanne Osmond.
It was a sellout crowd on Saturday evening, with hundreds of people cheering for local volunteer fighters and amateur boxers from across the province who entered the ring.
The event was held in support of Osmond, a Fernie child whose family was recently uprooted to Toronto, Ontario in order to receive extensive medical care and multiple surgeries for an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) that creates an abnormal connection of blood between her arteries and veins.
Organized by Fernie Old School Boxing Club, the club’s president Mike Johnson said the overwhelming response that raised over $12,500, final numbers still pending, for Shyanne was “humbling.”
“There isn’t one word I can say to express my thanks for the support we received,” said Johnson. “We had huge support from the community by being sold out. The crowd was energized; I think there was a lot of support for the community fighters who have put in a lot of work over the last three months. They certainly stood up and were counted and got in that ring and had a really good evening. They all thoroughly enjoyed it.”
A fight between community volunteer fighters Art Stokreef (top) and Kurt Saari got intense at Judgement Night. — S. KUCHARSKI
The community fighters included employees from local businesses such as Yamagoya Sushi, The Livery and Fernie Ford.
Johnson said that the intensity and energy was a hundredfold for those fighters in comparison to their training sessions at the club.
“You’re on your own in that ring, it’s just you and your opponent. I think a few of the boxers found out about themselves and their courage and who they are by getting in that ring and boxing,” said Johnson.
Johnson also wanted to extend gratitude to the fighters from the clubs who travelled to Fernie for the event.
“MadKatz Boxing Club from Kelowna, Bisla from Surrey on the coast … those are long drives just to come to our community for this event. They weren’t paid, they just did it for the love of the sport and I appreciate that,” said Johnson.