Law enforcement and correctional officers, military personnel and a firefighter went toe to toe in the boxing ring Saturday night, raising money for charity in the Battle of the Badges Fight Series: Road to the Championship. Held in the intimate courtyard setting of Liquid Nightclub in Citrus Heights, the well-attended event benefitted charities including the Armed Forces Foundation, Firefighters Burn Institute and Sacramento Sheriff's Toy Project. Battle of the Badges Fight Series events are a lead-up to the title fight at Battle of the Badges VIII. Last year's Battle of the Badges VII was held in August at Memorial Auditorium. All bouts had a three-round limit, and on the card Saturd

From Little League to Major League Baseball or punches to knockouts in boxing, it’s important to keep fans and readers up to date on sport results and highlights. Sam Amick, Sports Illustrated columnist for SI.com, shared his personal experiences Tuesday, giving multiple anecdotes to explain lessons learned, experiences gained and answered audience member questions about the craft. The single most important skill that Amick stressed was preparation and research. He compared sports writing to a chef saying that one prepares by having the correct ingredients for a recipe. He encouraged the audience to try to gain as much information about the sports topic, the team, athletes and statistic

Boxing returned to Sacramento Saturday night with Battle of the Badges VII, an annual charity boxing event featuring correctional officers, police officers and firefighters from the Northern California area. Fifteen bouts of three two-minute rounds took place in front of an estimated 2,000-3,000 boxing fans at Memorial Auditorium, benefiting such charities as the Firefighters Burn Institute, Sac Fallen Officers Resource Fund, The Sacramento Sheriff’s Toy Project and Sacramento SPCA. Some agencies represented in the matches included the Sacramento and Vallejo fire departments; the Sacramento, Davis and Woodland police departments; the California Highway Patrol and California State Prison,

Once the sun set in West Sacramento, the stage lights flickered on and the red boxing gloves came up.  Saturday's Raley Field Rumble pitted firefighters, corrections officers and law enforcement officers from all over Northern California against one another, all in the name of Sacramento charities. "We like to support different charities each year," said Isreal Montes Jr., creator of the event. "We keep it local in Sacramento.  This year we're supporting the Firefighters Burn Institute, Sheriff Toy Project and Sacramento Fallen Officers Resource Fund." Correction officers Montes and Yvonne Vasquez, from California State Prison Sacramento, started the city's "Battle of the Badges" in 200

Last week, The Sacramento Press wrote about local youth and hip-hop legend KRS-One spearheading a fundraiser for the Washington Neighborhood Center. Unfortunately, the event was not "well-attended enough on its own to make a significant dent in our financial burden," said the center's vice president Adria Banihashemi. The center's financial problems have been building over the last five years, Banihashemi explained. One of the center's main donors, United Way, a budget-challenged non-profit itself, has sent the center significantly less money in the last few years. But it wasn't one grant, person or event that caused the struggle for money, Banihashemi said. "Lower attendance at events

Spring is almost over and so begins the onslaught of fun, fabulous things to do during the summer months in Sacramento! It's not quite time to break out the bikinis and flip-flops, but I have spotted some sleeveless tops and open-toed shoes lately...my all-time favorite season in Sacramento is almost here! This week, and particularly this week-end, is already jam-packed with music, festivals and outdoor events with the promise of the heat soon to come. I hope you haven't made plans already... Tuesday 4.28 Music: Rev Theory-- $12 at the door Where: Marilyn’s on K When: Doors- 6:30pm, Show- 7:15pm Why: You may get an idea for their music-style by the bands they’ve opened for: the likes of

Jab left jab right, swing and hook. Get low, bob, weave, and I'm dizzy. I look up and my partner tells me to keep going. I can barely gather up enough strength to put my hands back up, but I find it, somehow. I lift the 16oz gloves on my hands and start the punch combination over again. I'm dripping sweat like it was pouring rain on my face, and I’m not sure I’ll make it to the next class. Who knew boxing was so intense? When I first signed up for beginning boxing at Sacramento City College I knew there would be challenges, but I never thought that when I unwrapped my hands after class they would be shaking. Glancing at the stairs, I wonder how I will walk down them with my legs hurting