Last Thursday in DC, somewhere between 1,000 – 2,000 men joined together at the Hilton Washington for what has become known as the largest “boys night” out. While the smoked filled ball room was a place to see and be seen (those in attendance included Mayor Adrian Fenty, rocker Joan Jett, Sugar Ray Leonard, “Smokin” Joe Frazier, James “Buster” Douglas, Roy Jones, Kenny “Babyface” Edmunds, Jermaine Dupri, DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray, and others), nobody in the room forgot, even with all of the distractions, nobody forgot the purpose of the evening. Fight Night, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary this year and was founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Joseph Robert, was created “as way to help underprivileged children and youth gain access to high quality educational and health care services.” Fight Night (which has been sold out since 2002) has become one of the largest single night philanthropic events in the nation’s capital. Last year alone the event raised $2.8 million.The charity that benefits greatest from Fight Night and organizes the event is Fight For Children. “With strong support from businesses and individuals in Washington, DC, Fight For Children is an independent not-for-profit organization that recognizes, promotes, and cultivates quality education for low-income children in Washington, DC. Fight For Children also addresses the critical link between good health and improved academic performance.”
There is no doubt that when a charity sets out to raise money through an event, the best way to make it sustainable is to make it an event that people will look forward to going to each and every year. Fight Night has accomplished this in spades, creating a fun, guys oriented atmosphere while at the same time raising significant sums of money for DC area charities. Whether it be the 16 oz. steaks, the boxing, the celebrities, the sheer fun of the evening, or the ladies, Fight Night is definitely an event geared for its audience!
If you haven’t been to Fight Night, we recommend you put it on your radar for next year. Please visit either Fight Night or Fight For Children to learn more.
Congratulations to Joseph Roberts on 20 years of Fight Nights’.
