Dudley's council leader boxing showdown raises almost £28K
The money will be split between the mayor's chosen charities
Almost £28,000 has been raised in a landmark fundraiser in Dudley which saw the council leader trade verbal sparing with opposition with throwing punches in the boxing ring.
Dudley Council leader Patrick Harley and former councillor Shaz Saleem went toe-to-toe in the ring and raised £27,685 for good causes.
The charity boxing showdown delivered a memorable night of entertainment at Dudley Town Hall on Friday (Aug 21), where the pair traded leather in front of an enthusiastic crowd, all in the name of charity.
Local good causes emerged as the biggest winners on the night, with ticket sales through the council's box office raising £23,090, while £3,109.37 was raised through raffle ticket sales.
The money raised will be shared between charities supported by Councillor Pete Lowe, Mayor of Dudley, and former Mayor, Councillor Pete Lee.
Birmingham Children’s Hospital will also receive a donation of £2,000.
Councillor Pete Lowe, Mayor of Dudley, said: “What a bostin night for Dudley and, most importantly, for the charities that will benefit from this incredible effort! Patrick and Shaz have put months of hard work into their training, and it was fantastic to see them finally step into the ring and put all on the line.
"The atmosphere in the Town Hall was tremendous, and the crowd really got behind them.
“I would like to thank everyone who bought a ticket, took part in the raffle and came along to support the event. I also want to thank all the businesses who sponsored the evening and helped make sure that the money raised can go towards supporting important local causes.
“I would also like to thank everyone who enjoyed a pint of my ‘Bostin Mayor’s Beer’, brewed locally by The Green Duck. We sold out within an hour!”
Councillor Patrick Harley, Leader of Dudley Council said: “It was a brilliant night and after months of training, it was great to finally get in the ring with Shaz.
"We traded plenty of leather and the crowd certainly made sure we knew they were watching! But the boxing was only ever the means to an end.
"The whole point was to raise as much money as possible for charity, and to have raised nearly £28,000 is a fantastic result.
“I want to thank Shaz for taking on the challenge, everyone who came along and supported us, and all our sponsors whose generosity covered the cost of staging the event.
"That means the money raised through the event can go directly towards supporting the charities.”
Councillor Pete Lowe's mayoral charities include We Love Carers, Friends of Alfie Johnson, Stourbridge Town FC's Floodlight Appeal, Gig Caritas/Busking for Charity, The What? Centre, Stourbridge Glass Museum and Brierley Hill Baby Bank.
Former mayor Councillor Pete Lee’s charities were Alzheimer’s Society, Disability in Action Dudley, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, Gurkha Welfare Trust and The Leukaemia Appeal Support Fund, supporting the Georgina Unit at Russells Hall Hospital.