An iconic gym in York County that was in danger of closing just last year has come back fighting harder than ever.
Today marked the business’s first public event in more than a decade with Licolnway Boxing Gym's "Fall Brawl."
For $25, spectators got a ticket to watch a series of matches and support the gym that trained the contenders.
"It’s been about 15 years since we've had our last event here so it means a lot to us, it's a great thing, said Julio Alvarez, owner and head trainer. “Now we can show the community what is going on in here, most of the guys that fought back then are already grown-ups and their kids are coming back in and take classes so that's pretty neat, it's pretty neat."
Alvarez says the best part about the gym is getting to see people grow and learn.
"My favorite part about being a head coach is when you see the kids coming in from the street, they don't know anything about boxing and a few months later they're boxing and that's very rewarding," said Alvarez.
Boxers at the gym say that while joining can be intimidating at first, it’s well worth the effort, and not just because of the learning experience.
"Being a part of this gym, I would say that it's very much like a family. They're very close here,” said boxer Cody Canterbury. “When I walked in originally, I felt a little intimidated, a little scared because there's big guys hitting the bags but after I talked to a few of them, they just started to make me feel more comfortable and feeling more welcome. They started remembering who I was and told me to come back, come back, we want you here."
Lincolnway has been a non-profit boxing gym in the York community for 27 years, producing a number of successful professional and amateur fighters.
The gym also acts as an after-school program to keep kids off the streets while teaching them discipline and self-defense.
To learn more about the gym, click here.