It has been nearly one month since local pro boxer Jonathan Andre was struck and killed by a car while he was crossing the street – his friends and fellow athletes held a fundraiser Sunday to help the Andre family.
Supporters who attended the Jonathan Andre Spar-A-Thon fundraiser Sunday paid $10 for one hundred rounds of boxing, a barbecue and to take part in a silent auction.
All proceeds from the event went directly to the family of Jonathan Andre, a promising 30-year-old boxer.
Andre was killed after he was struck by a car while crossing 118 Avenue late Sunday, June 26.
Fellow athletes said his dedication to the sport was inspiring.
"Nobody would train like Jonathan," Event organizer Paul Mackenzie said "The guy would train twenty hours a day."
"He was a good guy that came from some rough places." Andre's coach John Mendonza said of Andre's rise as a successful boxer.
Andre had won 22 of his first 29 amateur fights, he had won two provincial titles – and both of his matches as a pro boxer.
"Everyday you could see some goodness, everyday you could see that he was growing, feeling better about himself," Mendonza said. "He was so introverted, by the end he was extroverted."
His is a work ethic his friends are hoping to pass on to the younger generation, after enough money is raised for the Andre family to buy a headstone to honour the young boxer.
"Our goal is to raise $5,000," Mackenzie said. "Anything we raise more than that his father wanted to put a scholarship forward."
"If there are kids up north, if they don't have money for sports – it's a way to say here is $100 for skates."
More information on the fundraiser and ways to donate can be found online.
With files from Sonia Sunger
