Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
Photo credit by the Riverside Police Department
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A. – On Tuesday, August 10, 2016, Riverside Police Officers teamed up with undefeated, former two-time WBO World Boxing Champion, Mikey Garcia (35-0, 29 KOs), to hand out one hundred backpacks and various school supplies to kids in the Casa Blanca neighborhood. The event was part of the annual Riverside Police Department Backpack Giveaway program, held today at the Ysmael Villegas Community Center in Villegas Park. Garcia said, “This was a wonderful opportunity to come out and support these kids. As a parent, it feels good knowing that all of these children will be prepared with the adequate supplies for their first week of school. I’m a big advocate for education, so I gave some advice for the kids to take with them into this new school year. It was an honor to be a part of this program, and to partner with the Riverside Police Department.” The twenty-eight year-old Garcia trains nearby at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Riverside.
Having the right tools and support is crucial for students to have a successful education. “It was great to have Mikey Garcia out here with us giving back to the community,” said Sgt. Barney of the Community Services Bureau. “The backpack giveaway is a joint sponsored activity by the Riverside Police Foundation and the Riverside Police Officers Association, and was designed to inspire children and let them know that their community supports their academic efforts. Both foundations were able to raise over $5,000 in school supplies for kids in the City of Riverside.”
For any inquiries, contact Lorin Chvotkin of Team Mikey Garcia by email at Lbchoyas@yahoo.com or by phone at (240) 498 1478.
For more information about the backpack giveaway program, contact Supervisor John Pedroza, with the Community Services Bureau of the Riverside Police Department by email at Jpedroza@riversideca.gov or by phone at (951) 826-5232.
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Hashtags: #TeamMikeyGarcia #RGBA #BackToSchool
