Sports have a unique way of fostering a sense of community among people.

Rich Cantolina, owner of Sanctuary Boxing Club in New Kensington, understands that well.

“I watched what boxing can do for kids,” Cantolina said.

“Kids that felt like they didn’t have friends, they made friends in the gym. Kids that felt like they were left out, felt like they found a home in the gym. Kids with rough home lives felt like they found that family in the gym.”

For Cantolina and his fiancee, Cheri Croney, it’s always been “bigger than boxing.” Their gym offers children and adults a sense of belonging — a place they can build lifelong relationships and memories.

That’s why, on Saturday, Sanctuary Boxing Club is organizing the Fall Brawl at Kiski Area High School. The event, which will feature 15 to 17 bouts among boxers ages 8 and up, will help the club raise funds for the chance to take its qualified fighters to the USA Boxing National Championships in Lubbock, Texas.

“Well, No. 1, I think it’s a fundraiser for the gym,” Cantolina said of his motivation to put on the first USA Boxing event at Kiski Area. “I try to provide every opportunity I can for my boxers at the gym. And if they want to fight at nationals, and they want to be the best in the country, then my job as a coach is to help them accomplish that goal.”

Six from the gym will fight in the Fall Brawl: 8-year-old Delilah Rangel, 13-year-old Katie Kerecz, 14-year-old Darren Rambert, 14-year-old Damien Wright, 25-year-old Mike Zecca and 39-year-old James Wright. Kerecz is the only fighter competing Saturday who will have the chance to compete at nationals. She will be featured as the co-main event in a 106-pound bout against Tamara Jackson.

“I think she has the all the potential to become an Olympian and world champion,” Cantolina said.

Rangel, the youngest of the club’s fighters, cannot compete in nationals yet, but she still holds a national ranking.

“I like to describe her as the cutest, meanest thing you’ve ever seen,” Cantolina said. “She has a personality that goes along with a killer instinct in the ring that I don’t really see in young kids. Like typically, when you see 8-year-olds fight and they hurt somebody, they have a tendency to kind of back away, or they’re just, like, point scoring, I guess you could say in boxing. She’s actually, like, trying to hurt people, which is kind of scary.”

Doors to the Fall Brawl will open at 3 p.m. Saturday. The first fight is slated for 4 p.m., with the main event set for 7 p.m. between 16-year-old Gea Fultz and 15-year-old Shiyarr Harris. Admission is $24 for adults and $15 for children.

Though the amateur boxing showcase serves primarily as a fundraiser for the gym and a trip to the USA Boxing National Championships in December, Cantolina is intentional about utilizing boxing to make an impact within his community.

“Not every kid in that gym is going to be a fighter or a professional boxer,” he said. “Even the fighters aren’t going to go on to professional careers. … I’ve always said that my quote is that I might create one world champion … but I am going to create a thousand good human beings. And we’ve always used the term that ‘it’s bigger than boxing.’ It’s a sanctuary. That’s kind of our motto.”

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