Friday, December 26, 2014

ACFN9 Sponsorship, and Ticket Information

Atlanta Corporate Fight Night 2015
Atlanta’s Premier Black Tie        
Charity Corporate Boxing Event      www.corporatefightnight.com 

Corporate Fight Night is an incredible black tie event where mild mannered business people, men and women, through intensive mental and physical training, transform into real fighters for one incredible night.  Watch local business class go toe-to-toe with like-minded executives, doctors, engineers, lawyers, accountants, and sales executives, for a real USA BOXING sanctioned amateur bout, and they do it for a great cause!  USA Boxing is the only amateur boxing commission in the United States, and is the organizer of America's Olympic Boxing Team.      

The Challenge – We take corporate America out of their comfort zone and provide them an intense physical and emotional challenge in a safe environment that is life changing on a multitude of levels.  Corporate Fight Night boxers go through a selective audition process and an intensive ten to twelve week training program for their big night in the squared circle.  Additionally, each boxer campaigns to rally sponsors for their match which all comes together on their big night when they face their foe on fight night. Balancing careers, family, training, fears, and philanthropy, becomes an incredible character building experience as they put themselves through one of the greatest challenges of their life with all of the pressures of a real prize fighter. 

The Entertainment - There is no top end of town black tie event quite like this one.  It is near impossible to replicate the constant excitement in any other sports or social event.  From the participants’ grand entrance to the ring, to watching these boxers rise to never imagined heights, the thrill and the honor of seeing America’s business class strive so hard for a common goal is worthy of any great 5 star event. 

Charity – We consider it an honor to raise money for great local and national charities.  Previous charities have included The Hirsch Academy, StandUp for Kids, Covenant House, Childspring International, Friends of Dekalb Animals, Semper Fi Fund, The Ben Cohen Stand Up Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, Boys to Men Mentoring Programs, Home Aid Atlanta, Thaakat Foundation, PAWS Atlanta, Covenant House of GA, Dukes Children’s Hospital, Bert’s Big Adventure, and many more with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta being our newest addition for ACFN 9.  We are proud to serve, and we love to give through such a great event where people truly are “fighting” for their charity.  The pressure is incredible, but the reward is even more incredible.

The Venues – Atlanta Corporate Fight Night is a black tie, black eye affair!  We search diligently to present our events in the best venue for each show.  ACFN has been hosted in beautiful ballrooms, large trendy night clubs, and elegant event centers.  No matter where we are hosted, we can assure our sponsors that the venue will be the perfect fit for each event.   Our venues are arranged beautifully, with classy silent auction displays, cigar lounges, and gourmet dinner buffets for our corporate VIPs as they dine and have cocktails to the classy tunes of Sinatra-style jazz bands.  An elegant setting, a night of action packed competition, beautiful ring card girls, and 500-800 of the cities A-List corporate crowd make Corporate Fight Night one of the hottest social events and advertising hot spots in the city. 

The Media – CFN has stirred up a healthy media presence in only a few short years.  We have hosted or been presented on several radio and internet radio shows, magazines, newspapers, and news media outlets both in the US and internationally.   Some of the coverage has included CNN, ESPN, NBC, Yahoo Sports, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Creative Loafing, Action Fighter Magazine, Mundo Hispanico, Buckhead Life, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Huffington Post, The Examiner, Doghouse Boxing, Georgia Fighters Magazine, Inside Punch, WXIA Channel 11, AM 1160, Magic 107.9, Atlanta Magazine, V103, Women’s Boxing Archive Network, HBN Network, Living in North Georgia Magazine, Best Self Magazine, Stiletto Woman Magazine, The Champion Newspaper, The Buckhead Review, Buckhaven Magazine, and many, many more sources. 

Awards – In 2012 and only our second year of production, Atlanta Corporate Fight Night won several prestigious awards at the 2012 Georgia Fighters Awards ceremony.  The awards included Critics Choice for Promoter of the Year, People’s Choice Promoter of the Year, Critics and People’s Choice awards for Best Local Boxing Brand, and Terri Moss, the founder of Corporate Fight Night, won Critics Choice for Most Influential Person of the Year, and a People’s Choice for Boxing Trainer of the Year.  We won several of the same awards in 2013, and look forward to more in 2014 and 2015 where founder Terri Moss will be inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame alongside women’s boxing icons Laila Ali and Ann Wolf!  

The Celebrities – CFN has had a host of celebrities appearing on the shows as special guests, being found in our audiences, and even boxing on our shows!  Darren Henson, RL from Next, American DJ Story’s “DJ Nabs”, and singer/songwriter Scott Schwartz of The Shadowboxers, have all boxed on our shows.  Celebrities are always in attendance such as Keri Hilson, Hollywood’s DJ Unique, and The Indigo Girls. ACFN has also had some of the biggest celebrity names in boxing appear as special guests, including the entire 1984 Olympic Boxing team.  Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Meldrick Taylor, Tyrell Biggs, Mark Breland, Virgil Hill.  ACFN hosted the first ever reunion of the highest achieving Olympic boxing team in history with our 1984 Olympic Boxing team reunion.  It was an historic event that we were proud to host.  As our sponsors and supporters have noted, Corporate Fight Night is quickly becoming one of Atlanta’s hottest events. 

EVENT SPONSORSHIP 

Enjoy team building around your company sponsored boxer. Your organization will benefit from PR throughout the training process and the event.  You can sponsor with any level and get the full benefits of the package you choose.  Boxer and Event Sponsorship packages are one in the same and listed below as Gold, Silver, and Bronze. 

Bronze Sponsor - $1,000 
·         Logo prevalently displayed on all promotional material and event signage 
·         Company logo and hyperlink featured on event blogs and social media mentions 
·         1/4 page ad in event program 
·         3 VIP Table seats with dinner 
·         3 tickets to VIP cocktail reception 
·         Verbal mentions as a sponsor by ring announcer during event  

Silver Sponsor - $2,500 
·         Logo prevalently displayed on all promotional material and event signage 
·         Company logo and hyperlink featured on event blogs and social media mentions 
·         Your logo displayed on your boxer’s trunks/shirt
·         Your company announced with your boxer as their sponsor
·         1/2 page ad in event program   8 VIP Table seats with dinner 
·         8 tickets to VIP cocktail reception 
·         Verbal mentions as a sponsor by ring announcer during event  

Gold Sponsor - $5,000 
·         Logo prevalently displayed on all promotional material and event signage 
·         Company logo and hyperlink featured on event blogs and social media mentions 
·         Your logo displayed on your boxer’s trunks/shirt
·         Your company announced with your boxer as their sponsor
·         1/2 page ad in event program 
·         16 VIP Table seats with dinner 
·         16 tickets to VIP cocktail reception 
·         Verbal mentions as a sponsor by ring announcer during event 
·         Your promotional materials placed on VIP Tables and in VIP swag bags 
·         Live 30 second advertisement performed by our ring announcer during event as an intro to your boxer’s ring entrance.  

VIP TABLES (no advertising)
VIP tables can also be purchased by family and friends in support of their boxer.  At a highly disoucnted rate but with no advertisng or marketing.  VIP Tables include dinner, VIP cocktail reception, and all of the perks of our VIP sponsors aside from the advdrtising and may be purchased in the following ways:
VIP Table (seats 10) $2,000
½ VIP Table (seats 5) $1,000
Invididual VIP Table seats $200ea  

TICKETS (Ticket sales are another way that a boxer can raise sponsorship).

Tickets are priced as follows:
·         VIP Ringside (includes VIP Cocktail Reception / front row) closest seats to the ring) - $150
·         Ringside (these are rows 2 & 3)  - $100
·         Preferred Seating (these are guaranteed seating, not numbered but guaranteed) - $50
·         General Admission (seats and standing room, first come first serve) - $25  

You can get tickets, sponsorships, or donate at the link Atlanta Corporate Fight Night set up for me…
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=WBBY4DTUGBNJG

Once money is paid ACFN9 will get in touch with me and ask what you’d like with whatever contribution is paid. By paying through this link it contributes to the money I (Lindsey) have to raise for the fight. For example… If you click the link and pay $100 they will ask me if you want 4 general admission, 2 preferred seating, or 1 ringside seat. I can either deliver tickets to you, mail them, or you can pick up at will call the day of the fight. 

CONTACT US 
Terri Moss / Event Promoter                                                      Lindsey “Disaster” Struck
Corporate Fight Night                                                                  ACFN9 Boxer
678.334.8204                                                                                404.553.4573
info@corporatefightnight.com                                                  compill101@yahoo.com

Monday, December 15, 2014

Signing Day

I received my contract for Atlanta Corporate Fight Night 9 from Terri (my trainer and the promoter for ACFN9) this past Thursday, December 11. Over the weekend I've read over it many times before signing it and turning it in this morning when I went to the gym. It includes many details that I've eagerly been anticipating since I've decided to participate in fight night... it includes who my opponent will be, what weight class I'll be fighting at, how much money I have to raise, and more which I'll go into more detail on.

First, I'll be fighting Kelsey Fox. Yes, the first thing I did was totally Facebook stalk her. I believe she's about my same age. She's got one fight which she won under her belt and from what I heard she maybe a couple inches taller than me. I'll have a lot of hard work to put in before I face her on February 19 but am confident Terri will give me the tools and the training I need to win before we compete.

I'll be fighting in the 130-138 weight class. Yes, I consider this awesome news. I still have about 5-10 pounds to lose before the weigh-in but that's all. That also means if I happen to have a piece of cake or a cookie over the holidays it's not going to be the end of the world. I'm planning on just not going crazy. Moderation is never a bad thing and watching my diet will help keep me focused while I train.

Every boxer has to help raise money and promote the fight. This part does make me a bit nervous as I've never had to sell tickets or solicit sponsorships. As a boxer I have a total of $5,000 to raise. That means I am counting on all my friends to buy tickets and come support me. I'll be doing a separate ticket and sponsorship blog later on this week but if you want to get tickets now. Ticket prices will be made available to the public February 1, but you can help me meet my goal and get your tickets now by going to my paypal link which Corporate Fight Night set up. Ticket prices are as follows:
  • VIP Table Seat (includes dinner, VIP Cocktail Reception) - $200
  • VIP Ringside (includes VIP Cocktail Reception / front row) closest seats to the ring) - $150
  • Ringside (these are rows 2 & 3)  - $100
  • Preferred Seating (these are guaranteed seating, not numbered but guaranteed) - $50
  • General Admission (seats and standing room, first come first serve) - $25
My paypal link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=WBBY4DTUGBNJG

The other parts of my contract include...
  • Boxing License – must be licensed through USA Boxing prior to bout. CFN will provide all documentation needed to obtain your passbook, along with a list of basic medical requirements.
  • Medical Requirements – must be in general good health for CFN. High blood pressure and heart disease are problematic and medical approval from a physician maybe required before being considered to participate in a boxing contest. Must release any and all liability created or associated with training or competition in bout. Must also pass pre-fight physical administered by ringside physician prior to bout.
  • Charity – Corporate Fight Night is an exciting boxing show, but it is also a charity event. A percentage of the net proceeds shall be donated to the Children's Healthcare Of Atlanta.
  • Training requirements – Selected participants of CFN agree to enter into a ten-week intensive training program.
  • Publicity – CFN uses many varied media sources to tell your story, to tell our story, and to tell the stories and needs of our charities and sponsors. As CFN competitor you must agree to make yourself available for media and publicity associated with the promotion and production of CFN.
There is also a No Back Out clause which states that those selected to compete in CFN will enter into a boxing agreement contract with CFN, their own sponsors, and with their opponent and their sponsors. Once you have agreed to box you will not have the option to “back out” without financial liability to your sponsors, a fee from CFN, and possibly the sponsors of your opponent. Backing out does not deliver a refund to any of your sponsors, your opponents sponsors, or your ticket holders. You assume all liability associated with a “change of heart”. Please know that I have not entered into doing this show without a lot of thought.  The moment I signed the contract I decide I was all in. This protects me, the boxer, my sponsors, as well as the shows sponsors, and the integrity of the show.
 
 

Sunday, December 7, 2014

"A Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step"

A Chinese philosopher, Lao-tzu, once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Before Thanksgiving I took my first step on my new journey and decided to fill out my application to become a boxer for Atlanta Corporate Fight Night 9. What is Atlanta Corporate Fight Night you may ask. Hailed as a "black tie, black eye affair," Corporate Fight Night is where business class people go toe-to-toe in a real sanctioned amateur boxing match to raise money for charity. Just like real boxers we will have to get our boxer's license, train for 10 weeks, make weight, solicit sponsorships and donations, and sell tickets for our upcoming fight. The charity for Fight Night 9 will be Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

Allow me tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Lindsey "Disaster" Struck (kind of like roller derby every boxer has a ring name, Disaster is mine). By day I work for the City of Decatur in the Active Living Department where I am the Assistant Program Coordinator for Athletics. I help organize and coordinate youth and adult sports leagues such as basketball, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, etc... Most days I love my job and really enjoy what I do. When not working I like playing softball in the Decatur Women's Sports League, where I coach my team, Victorious Secret. I also enjoy playing ice hockey with the Lady Thrashers at the Cooler in Alpharetta and when I can find the time (which isn't often) I love to play roller derby in the Atlanta Roller Girls Rec League. Also, when the weather's warmer I have a blast doing obstacle course races and zombie 5K's.

I'm sure somebody wise once said, "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it". Most that know me really well know I struggled with alcohol addiction, got into some trouble but I've been sober for over 5 years now. I also have a history of being overweight. Two years ago in January of 2013 I was over 250 pounds. For somebody that's only 5'2" that's definitely not healthy. After an embarrassing time of trying to fit into some borrowed hockey gear one night I decided enough was enough and after my birthday on the 12th I was determined to change things. I had been overweight ever since I was a kid and I wanted to be more active so I started slowly changing my diet and exercising more, in the first year I lost 50 pounds. Then in January of 2014, some coworkers told me about a weight loss challenge called Decatur's Biggest Loser. I decided a new challenge would be what I needed to help me continue with what I had started last year and signed up. For my birthday I received a two month boxing membership to Buckhead Fight Club. I started taking fitness classes and got hooked. I was going to the gym 3-4 times a week and abiding by a strict diet. By the end of the weight loss challenge in March (7 weeks) I had lost 35 pounds and was down to 175. I won first place out of all the females and placed 2nd over-all with the help of my trainer Terri Moss and of course the support of my girlfriend Jean and my family. Since then I've stuck with my diet (not quite as strictly) but have currently lost over a hundred pounds and am under 150. I have a tattoo on my arm that reads "Don't let your past dictate who you are," the rest of the quote goes, "but let it be a part of who you become". (That Dear Abby really knows what she's talking about). I wrestled with what to include on this blog and how much is too much information. Ultimately I decided to include this to give a little insight into my background and some of the things I struggle with and work on to overcome. Also my hope is maybe it will give somebody some hope that if you really want to change things you can. In the end you are responsible for your actions and choices but I couldn't have done any of it without the encouragement and help of my family, friends, AA, and honestly the leagues and gyms which I belong to.

I have had the honor of being able to witness Atlanta Corporate Fight Night from a unique point of view from most people. One night after a softball game a year and a half ago a group of us went out to dinner. Some of the girls on the team were talking about going to boxing the next morning Jean (my girlfriend) became inquisitive. She had kick boxed growing up and thought it sounded like fun so she decided to join them. She showed up to Buckhead Fight Club the next morning unknowing that both our lives would be forever changed. After a week at the gym, the owner, trainer, and all around amazing person, Terri "The Boss" Moss, asked Jean if she wanted to participate in a show she puts on called Atlanta Corporate Fight Night 7. In 10 weeks I saw Terri help transform her into a lean, mean more confident person. She raised over $1500 for a charity called CHRIS Kids. (CHRIS kids is a group home in the metro-Atlanta area that serves children in the foster care system with mental health and other therapeutic needs). Mean Jean, with just a little over 10 weeks of boxing experience went onto win her fight by split decision against Makeba Reed Johnson, a Wellness, Physical Education, and CPR/AED Instructor for Spelman College. I got to experience her highs and lows of being a fighter. She is an amazing woman and her experience has not only inspired me but also inspired several other people to fight. Robert Lewis Jr., her contact with CHRIS kids, was so inspired after watching the show, he fought and won by split decision also in Fight Night 8. Brandi "BOOM BOOM" Ansley, a close friend and softball junkie, was at a cross roads and looking for a new challenge in her life and decided to partake in Fight Night 8 as well. Holly Levine, aka "Kale Krunch", a friend of ours heard Jean talking about the gym and wanted to try it out. She became hooked on boxing and not only did she participate in ACFN8 but also participated in the Women's National Golden Gloves in Florida this past year. It's hard to explain what I've been able to witness from all of these people, as they've trained for their fights. I've been able to experience second hand the emotions and challenges everybody has had as they prepared to get in the ring and what it was like for them afterward. I feel like I need a new challenge. I'm ready to push myself and my limits. Ultimately I know it will just be me in the ring, but as I've experienced through my friends that have fought before me I won't be able to do it without the support of those around me. So save the date, Thursday, February 19, 2015 I will make my boxing debut at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Soon I'll find out who I'll be fighting as the fight card gets set. Throughout my training I plan to update this blog, my hope is that you and others will follow along my journey with me on my road to Atlanta Corporate Fight Night 9. It will include important dates, ways you can get tickets, sponsorship information, and maybe a couple other fundraising ideas and dates that you can participate in or come out and support if you'd like.

Also here are some links I wanted to include if you'd like some more information on some of the places I mentioned above...
Atlanta Corporate Fight Night - corporatefightnight.com
Buckhead Fight Club - buckheadfightclub.com
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - choa.org
CHRIS Kids - chriskids.org
Decatur Women's Sports League - dwsl.biz
Atlanta Lady Thrashers - ladythrashers.com
Atlanta Roller Girls - atlantarollergirls.com