Milwaukee boxing club seeks help after fire damage threatens future

Boxing club needs help after fire

A Milwaukee boxing club that has served generations of youth is asking for community support after an electrical fire caused significant damage to its building.

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee boxing club that has served generations of youth is asking for community support after an electrical fire caused significant damage to its building.

What we know:

ACE Boxing Club, located on Milwaukee’s south side, has been a community fixture since the 1960s, offering free training and mentorship for young people.

The damage includes broken wood, a damaged ceiling and debris left behind after the fire. Club leaders said firefighters were able to save the building, but repairs now threaten the nonprofit’s ability to stay open.

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"It was heartbreaking to see it [...] I think it was God, said that this had to happen, that I got to smell that smell," said Frank Porter, who runs ACE Boxing Club. "A fire alarm went off, and they're like, Mr. Porter, there's smoke coming up behind that fire alarm."

Porter said the club was founded by his father and grandfather to help keep at-risk young people off the streets. He said the organization relies on donations to operate and to fund repairs.

What they're saying:

"The repairs only come and only come from what we get from donations," Porter said.

Youth members and volunteers have stepped in to help clean up the damage, including Ismael Hernandez, who trains at the club.

"Thank God it didn't, but yeah, it really makes me sad, because this place is an amazing place," Hernandez said.

Contractors assisting with the cleanup estimate the damage could cost thousands of dollars to repair.

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"Just the door is a couple thousand dollars for that size of a door. It's significantly much more. We are taking 10-20 thousand dollars in damage, probably between the electrical and insulation," said another volunteer, Mike Keller, who works at Infinity Exteriors.

Big picture view:

It’s a KO they hope to make OK. Club leaders say they remain determined to reopen and continue serving the community.

"We wanna come back, we wanna come back," Porter said.

What you can do:

ACE Boxing Club is volunteer-run, and information on how to help is available on the organization’s website.