Jessica Hauser with Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, left, who donated $5,000 to Downtown Boxing Gym last month, and Coach Khali Sweeney Dream Weaving Jewish woman helps young Detroit boxers beat the odds. Sharon Luckerman Special to the Jewish News R ising out of a desolate field surrounded by tall weeds and abandoned houses on Detroit's East Side is a squat concrete building that's home to the Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program (DBG). It's hard to believe that this is a place that trains world boxing champions and more. In a neighborhood that has a 37 percent high school graduation rate, 100 percent of DBG athletes graduate. But four years ago, the gym, free to all students, almost closed its doors. Coach Khali Sweeney, 42, who founded the gym seven years ago, ran out of money to sup- port his dream — until Jessica Hauser, 30, of Birmingham arrived. "I was working out in Royal Oak with a friend, a professional boxer who trained with Khali," says Hauser, a former member with her family of Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park. When her friend moved, she checked out Khali's gym and was hooked on help- ing as soon as she saw the coach at work with the young athletes. "He was giving them life lessons while guiding them in a demanding boxing program:' says Hauser, a political science graduate of Oakland University, "and I could hear how much the kids admired him" Since then, Jessica turned the gym into a 501(c)3 nonprofit in order to raise money for the gym and for trips the young ath- letes must make to participate in champi- onship games. She also sought out in-kind support for everything from used cars to computers and gym equipment. 14 November 29 • 2012 National Champion Anthony Flagg Shante Higgs Coach Khali Sweeney trains Cortez Todd. The DBG and its athletes prospered. All 12 high-schoolers on the current boxing competition team are ranked in the top 10 in the United States. Detroit teammates who train here include Cortez Todd, 15, who recently won the Ringside World Championship in his weight class. Anthony Flagg Jr., 18, who came one point away from qualifying for the 2012 USA Olympic boxing team, ranks No. 2 boxing champion in the United States in his class. And Shante Higgs, 17, has already com- peted with Olympic gold medal champion Claressa Shields of Flint on the Michigan team at the 2011 Nationals. Considered to have a prodigious talent, Shante is featured in the recent MTV episode True Life, I'm a Boxer in Detroit. Khali says he grew up in the gym's neighborhood when it was one of the roughest in Detroit. "Boxing saved my life Khali says. He credits his uncle who introduced him to boxing after Khali was shot in gang vio- lence. But it's not great champions the coach aims to create. He is most proud of his athletes' academic achievements. "Boxing is the hook to get kids and keep them in our program:' says Khali, who saved for 10 years working in construction to open his gym. "Training them to be successful, productive members of society is our passion:' All his athletes must participate in the gym's academic mentorship program, led by Sarah Feldman, 28, of Detroit and Lisa Dunn, 28, of Sterling Heights, both certi- fied teachers. The young athletes also do community service, including helping the gym's neighbors to clean their streets and volunteering at Forgotten Harvest, a local food bank. "Downtown Boxing kids are some of the most well-disciplined, ready-for-the world kids I ever met:' says Ryan Rowinski of Forgotten Harvest. "They never wavered ... and helped us launch a very successful program" Hauser originally planned to work with impoverished children internationally. She says, "I was raised to give back:' But meeting DBG students, many living in the projects, she realized she didn't have to go to a Third-World country. There were children 15 minutes from her home who needed support. "I realized this is where I wanted to make a difference she says. "Jessica was instrumental in keeping the gym alive says Khali. He, his young ath- letes and Hauser are all amazed at the gen- erous outpouring of support from people around Metro Detroit. After a recent piece on Fox News, for example, $11,000 in donations came in to DBG, $5,000 of that was from Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon's foundation. Avalon Bakery's Jackie Victor contributed money for uni- forms and equipment. David Mancini, owner of Supino's Pizzeria in the Eastern Market, and Sherman Taylor of Taylor Special Services donated cars for DBG athletes who went on to college, all the first in their family to even graduate high school. And now Mancini and others are gathering chefs for a fun- draising family-style polenta dinner for DBG on Monday, Dec. 10, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the gym. Sponsors include Supino's Pizzeria, Slow's Bar BQ, Zingerman's and Astro Coffee. Tickets are $100. With 64 athletes in the program and 54 more on the waiting list, Hauser and Khali are searching for a new home for the gym. Hauser recently contacted Eastern Market and was shown two vacant buildings that fit their criteria. Thrilled, Khali is already imagining how the second floor in one building can be used for the academic labs. "We need to find ways to help these kids get out of poverty:' Hauser says. "If you can get them young and get them strong, you'd be making a big difference in them and in their community:' ❑ For information or tickets to the DBG dinner, contact Hauser at (248) 933-3358 or jhauser@ downtownyouthboxing.org or visit the website www.downtownboxing.eventbrite.com .