Champions for Charity and The Brawl at Tapestry Hall raises more than $700,000 for Children’s Charities.
By Jeff Hicks
CAMBRIDGE —
John Deans, lanky and peckish, reached towards the Tapestry Hall heavens.
He took an imaginary top-hat bow, applauded his fellow first-time fighters and, summoning all the Fred Astaire charm the Dancing with the Stars veteran could muster, pointed towards his Irish entourage led by wife Alison in a sparkling green dress.
The Brawl at Tapestry Hall — the third edition of the black-tie, Vegas-style boxing fundraising spectacle — was over at 12 minutes past midnight.
Mandy Bujold’s Champions for Charity — where 20 local business-leaders and community-minded professionals step into the boxing ring for a real sanctioned fight for the first time — had just raised $650,636 and counting for McMaster Children’s Hospital.
Another $51,590 was raised for local children’s charities in KidsAbility and Scotland’s Yard.
Make that more than a million dollars for MacKids over charity boxing nights in 2019, 2024 and 2025. This was an inspiring victory in the ever-expanding Champions for Charity ring of community caring, with 600 watching at Tapestry Hall and 2,500 online.
“One of the biggest highs I’ve experienced, for sure,” said Deans, the 53-year-old vice-president, construction and development, at SG Cunningham in Waterloo
“Trying to figure out how to keep this feeling going.”
First stop? Chicken wings at 1 a.m, of course.
The Irish-born Deans was hungry. After all, he had just strutted into the ring to his favourite electronic dance music and won a spirited fight with Cambridge’s Paul Sousa, the president of road-building behemoth and materials supplier Steed & Evans.
Sousa, who grew up across the Grand River near Churchill Park, had his supporters hooting, hollering and raising face fans with his cut-out smiling face. He was a monstrous fundraiser too, setting the three-year Champions record with $62,350 in solo funds raised for MacKids.
The hall roared for all the fighters across 10 heart-stopping, face-smashing bouts.
A Don King look-a-like flung monopoly money into the crowd.
“It was amazing to see the energy in the room,” said Bujold, a two-time Olympic boxer.
“Together, we didn’t just put on a show — we made a real impact for charity. What a night to remember!”
There was glitz, glam and a steadicam. Professional hosts. Big-screen replays. Dinner and refreshments. A violin virtuoso who played between fights all night long.
Did she really play Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir while waltzing around the ring?
“It was an incredible night,” said Haley McIntosh, after winning a heroic battle with Jaime Wilson who came out in Wonder Women cap and socks.
“I really tried to soak it all in. I joked that it was like planning a wedding. There are months of preparation for the Big Day. Then, ‘It’s over in a moment.”
It seemed like Jill Lawrie’s bout with Beth Borody was over in less.
Lawrie, fighting in her West Galt backyard she grew up in, charged at Borody from the opening bell. Borody pivoted and fell. Her right knee twisted in gave way.
The fight was over as it began.
Fifteen weeks of training under the Champions coaches and less than 15 seconds of ring time.
Pain and swelling followed the next morning.
But the wonderfully swollen fundraising numbers eased Borody’s disappointment.“It was truly an incredible event,” a determined Borody said.
“And it just means there’s another fight with my name on it at another time.”
For now, there is last night and new chapters, freshly written, in the Champions legacy.
Anne Filiatrault, professional painter, released her inner demon, as promised, in battling with Meghan Snyder. Jen Ziegler was a model of crazy determination in her exhausting victory over Harmony Voisin.
There were more fights. Each featured ferocious jabs at fundraising immortality.
Kyle Jackson and Matt McHugh delivered an appetizing opener. Shant Sarmazian worked the flooring with Jason Kropf. Kristin Diebel put a charge into Maria Legault and her yellow Flash socks. Jason Hunke and Mark Doherty, against the ropes, pummelling each other’s mid-sections.
It was a frenzy of memorable fights.
“Last night still feels like a dream,” said Allan Cayenne, real estate agent and president of K-W Oktoberfest, after winning a technically spiffy match with Grand River Collegiate teacher and musically-inclined chef Thompson Tran.
All told, this year’s edition of Champions for Charity raised $702,226 for local kids.
“It’s testament to the amazing event Mandy has built,” said Cayenne, who adopted the boxing name “Wakanda Warrior” and entered the ring a Black Panther mask.
“It has been an honour to be a part of this and to share the ring with some of the greatest people I have ever met.”
Maybe Cayenne won the fight. Tran showed grace and speed that had online commentators comparing his elusive steps to Muhammad Ali.
“I’ll take that,” Tran said.
“In combination with making Allan’s nose bleed, I won as well!”
Cayenne and Tran are good friends now. Champions for Charity brothers.
They laughed about their fight afterwards.
Before that, Bujold presented a big over-sized cheque to Vanessa Macedo, development officer for Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation.
There, in the middle of the ring, the Champions scored a fundraising knockout.
“Every fighter who stepped into the ring showed heart, grit and determination,” Bujold said. “I couldn’t be more proud of their performances and the courage they displayed.”
