By Tine Roycroft

The incredible Give Kids a Fightin’ Chance event, to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Worcester, is coming back to The Palladium for its 11th year May 9. Fantastic fighters (who are also titans of fundraising) will be going head-to-head in the ring to ensure that the valuable programs at the Boys and Girls Club will continue to help kids find positive paths that lead them to bright futures.

At the helm of this effort is Nate Reando, a member of the Worcester Police Department, a veteran of the S.W.A.T team and member of the G.A.N.G unit. Reando is also the co-owner of CrossFitCenterMass. This Burncoat High School grad cares deeply about his home city. As a kid, he attended the Lincoln Square Clubhouse, where he loved playing sports, expressing his creative side in the art room and wailing on the drums. Witnessing the success of Give Kids a Fightin’ Chance fills him with pride.

“The event sells out every year,” Reando said. “The Palladium gets packed ~ you can literally see people standing up against the wall in the back; it’s filled to capacity. We’ve already got about 46 fighters who are interested in participating this year. We look for people who are going to commit to training, as well as people who will be committed to raising money.”

For this year’s upcoming two-hour event, Reando expects a huge audience to witness the 17 fights and estimates that there are at least 12 women who are looking to climb into the ring. Reando couldn’t be happier, stating that some of the best fighters he has seen at the event are women.

Safety is a top priority for Reando as the event is planned and matches are decided. He understands that participants are willing to fight for a good cause, but he wants them to be able to attend their day jobs the next day. Because of his care and dedication, the tough and philanthropically minded fighters always give Reando glowing feedback.

“I get emails from people each year saying how much they loved the event, how they want to do it again. They tell me it’s the best event they’ve been involved in,” Reando said.

Always looking to keep things fresh and fun, this year will include a ring card girl contest through the Give Kids a Fightin’ Chance Facebook page, and the fight card also will be announced through Facebook, with two fights being announced per day, starting two weeks before the event.

For those who may not be ready to venture into the ring but want to support this great cause, Reando has made it easy to get involved. Check out the Give Kids a Fightin’ Chance site to buy tickets or donate and make a huge difference in the lives of Worcester-area kids.

Even with almost 11 years under his belt, the Worcester hero’s energy for this fundraising event has not diminished.

“I’ll keep going,” Reando laughs. “The year that I put that ad out and no one responds ~ that’s when we’re done. But I don’t think it’s slowing down anytime soon.”

Doors open for Give Kids a Fightin’ Chance at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at The Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. Fight starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at The Palladium box office or from individual fighters. For more information, visit givekidsafightingchance.org or facebook.com/GiveKidsAFightingChance.

Photo from last year’s event by Justin Perry.