"It’s a week before Christmas and all ‘round the ring - Santa Claus or the Grinch will soon be crowned king.
The families all sit, kids restless in seats — waiting for the boxing match to start while eating their sweets."
It’s what’s known as “Feel Good Friday” at Building Community Bridges in Jefferson City, a community organization that works with youth and families — helping kids find and develop passions, such as modeling, videography, chess or boxing.
It’s the boxing program that brings everyone out tonight for an evening of games, such as a snowball dodgeball fight and musical chairs.
There's also a planned demonstration by the boxing students of what they’ve been learning lately, as well as a boxing match-up between two Christmas heavyweights: Santa Claus and the Grinch.
“The Grinch was, he was pretty naughty,” Alexis Minor said. “He was going against the rules there, I think.”
Alexis brought her two kids to the event, 9-year-old DJ and 7-year-old Milani. They’re both a part of the Jawbreakers boxing program.
“This was my first year bringing the kids out, I love to see that everybody had a blast,” Minor said. “They had a bunch of fun… that's all that matters, is that they're happy, fun and healthy.”
"The event is centered around the parent. We like for them to be able to come in, we feed them. So, we prepare a meal for them this year. The meal is being served by a sorority in town, and we feed them. We give them hot cocoa and coffee. We even have a wrapping paper station if they want to wrap their gifts. But this is about that parent being able to feel like they're still their child's superhero," BCB Executive Director Alicia Edwards-Wright said.
She said her kids have grown in confidence since joining the program, and it’s been a relief for her to know that they have a place to go while she’s at work.
“Really, I just needed a kind of free escape for them, and what was great was that this is free for their age and everything, but after them joining, it was more like they became a family,” Minor said. “They're helping them become better people, and it's not just me, because it takes a village.”
Wolky Belancourt is the head of the boxing program — and the referee for the Santa vs Grinch match-up. He said programs like theirs are important because they help kids learn to believe in themselves, show them they can do hard things and that they have caring adults in their corner — sometimes literally.
He added the goal of the boxing match is to create a space for community togetherness, joy and a bit of holiday silliness.
But, there’s still a lesson to be learned from the Grinch, who started out as cold and mean.
“Eventually, you know, the Grinch is going to come and be nice too,” Belancourt said. “It's just being nice to everybody, showing the fun, the boxing aspect of it. It's not about who win, who lose, just about learning the skills, learning how to be nice to each other.”
Plus, he added it allows the boxing program to highlight what they do while giving back to the community. To attend the event, people donated toys to the Building Community Bridges Toy Drive.
Toward the end of the evening, Santa and the Grinch go three rounds in the ring.
The first round was boxing. The second was “sumo wrestling,” which meant running into each other in giant inflatable bubbles. And the final round is… chaotic. Ending, as the script was written, with Santa as the victor.
Both Santa and the Grinch agree they’re already looking forward to next year’s rematch, but, for now, the Grinch will go home to reflect on what he’s learned and to ice his injuries with a big slab of roast beast.
For the full audio story transcript, click here.
