FIGHTING FOR LIVES L.A.'S FINEST WILL SQUARE OFF IN BENEFIT.Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer Day to day, these men and women fight crime and raging fires to save lives. But tonight Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. police and firefighters will be exchanging blows in the boxing ring to help fight an unseen, yet pervasive villain affecting millions of Americans - cancer. In a benefit for the City of Hope Cancer Center, a total of 26 officers and firefighters will duke it out during the 10th annual Fight 4 Life at the Grand Olympic Auditorium The Grand Olympic Auditorium is a sports venue in Los Angeles, California, United States. Located at 1801 S. Grand Avenue, the venue was built in 1924 specifically for the 1932 Summer Olympic Games, which saw the boxing, weightlifting, and wrestling events held there. in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or . The event might be for a good cause, but the participants take the competition very seriously. ``It is a big-time grudge-match rumble,'' said LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. Officer Rudy Barragan, an LAPD Newton Division patrolman who trained a team of 12 LAPD officers for the event. ``It's going to be a packed house. There are no bad seats in the house.'' The matches pit Los Angeles police officers against Los Angeles sheriff's deputies, while Los Angeles city firefighters will face off against their county counterparts. Sheriff's Deputy Robert Wilkinson Robert Wilkinson may refer to:
``I'm pretty good about keeping cool,'' Wilkinson said. ``My trainer gets more stressed out than I do.'' Wilkinson has been sparring spar 1 n. 1. Nautical A wooden or metal pole, such as a boom, yard, or bowsprit, used to support sails and rigging. 2. A usually metal pole used as part of a crane or derrick. 3. and running for the past couple of months, steeling himself for battle against the boys in blue. ``We're going to tear 'em up,'' he said. ``I've seen most of their guys. No worries.'' The LAPD's Barragan countered: ``I don't want to call 'em sissies, but they're going down.'' More than 6,000 people filled the auditorium at last year's event, which raised $50,000. LAPD Newton Division patrol Capt. Fabian Lizarraga said he'll be there to watch. ``I'm looking forward to a competitive night,'' he said. ``I have confidence in our boxers, who have seriously dedicated themselves to putting on a good show. It will be a winning night.'' The LAPD and Sheriff's Department have special ties to City of Hope that makes this event important to them. LAPD Officer Diane Alonzo faced a battle with leukemia leukemia (l  kē`mēə), cancerous disorder of the blood-forming tissues (bone marrow, lymphatics, liver, spleen) characterized by excessive production of immature or mature in 1996 and turned to City of Hope for help. Both departments joined in numerous bone-marrow drives to find a potential donor and one was found - her brother, a sheriff's deputy. Alonzo underwent a bone-marrow transplant and returned to active duty in September 1997. ``I received my miracle at City of Hope in November of 1996,'' said Alonzo, a mother of four who now volunteers on the committee for the event. ``And through the efforts of the wonderfully dedicated City of Hope staff, my doctor, family members, fellow brother and sister officers and friends, I was given my life back.'' The first bell will sound at 6:30 p.m. and there will be 12 bouts in various weight classes, with both male and female fighters. Tickets, which cost between $10 and $50, can be purchased at the box office at 1801 South Grand Ave. For more information, visit www.cityofhope.org/fight4life. City of Hope is one of the world's leading biomedical research Biomedical research (or experimental medicine), in general simply known as medical research, is the basic research or applied research conducted to aid the body of knowledge in the field of medicine. and treatment centers for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. It is considered a global leader in the fields of bone-marrow transplantation and genetics and has developed therapies for more than 75 types of cancer, as well as diabetes, HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. and numerous immunological and genetic disorders The following is a list of genetic disorders and their origins. Beside most disorders is a code that indicates the type of fertilization and the chromosome involved.
Jason Kandel, (818) 713-3664 jason.kandel(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) LAPD Officer Rudy Barragan, left, takes on Officer Rudy Barillas to prepare for tonight's City of Hope fund-raiser. (2 -- color) Officer Rudy Barragan, who trained 12 LAPD officers for the benefit match to be held tonight at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, warms up at a Boyle Heights youth center last week. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
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