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Community Corner

Restore the Path. Rebuild the Streets.

There is truly no feeling more gratifying than doing something you know will make someone else’s life just a little bit better. Except, when you know that you are giving to a sustainable project that is sure to continuously improve the lives of hundreds of children. Restoring the Path is an organization that was developed and is implemented thoughtfully to provide bright futures to Chicago youth who are challenged by gang-related activities. Sally Hazelgrove, the founder and executive director of the organization set out on a mission to pave a new path for high-risk youth in Chicago. When starting the organization, Sally was determined to gain the support and trust of high-risk youth by providing them with an activity they wanted; Sally surveyed the teens on the street corners asking them which activity would get them off the streets and away from gang-related activities. The overwhelming majority expressed an interest in boxing. So, Sally attended training for several years until she was confident she could train the young men in Englewood.

 

As the organization has grown, so have the financial needs. Initially, she was the only trainer and in order to start, she asked the faculty at Englewood middle schools to send her organization the aggressive young boys in their schools who they predicted would have the poorest life outcome. Now in high school, many of those boys have become trainers for the new middle school teens joining the program; they earn wages and act as mentors for those they train. Restoring the Path has helped build the confidence of both and has given them hope for the future to these kids.

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Restoring the Path provides a deep sense of purpose to many children’s’ lives. This program holds them responsible, it makes them mentors, and it gets children who would engage in violent activities off of the streets and into a productive and loving community. The organization has made a tremendous impact on the lives of many youth.

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We are hosting a fundraiser to help ease the financial struggles they face each year and allow them to grow so that they can provide an alternative to violence and gang activity to more Englewood youth.  The Englewood Crusher will be joining the boxers of Ace Fitness and Boxing gym in Northbrook for an exciting boxing tournament hosted by Ace Fitness and Boxing. The fundraiser will be held on August 10 in Northbrook at 649 Academy Drive. There will be live music and a silent auction at the event in addition to the fight.  CNN will be filming the event as part of a documentary featuring Restoring the Path. 

 

If you are unable to attend the fundraiser, or if you wish to donate to Restoring the Path, please visit the website http://crushersclub.org/

 

Path is a 501(c)(3) organization and the letter of verification can be sent upon request. 

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