Grant to Bulldog Impacts Youth

Last year Zeke Lopez, founder of Bulldog Boxing Gym, came to the Community Foundation for San Benito County (CFFSBC) in search of support. Since 1993, Bulldog Boxing Gym has aimed to build character, integrity, and confidence in the youth living in San Benito County. When Lopez spoke to Gary Bryne, President of CFFSBC, and learned about Charitable Impact Grants and how they help improve the quality of life in San Benito County, he submitted a two page story, along with an application, a couple of days after their meeting. The goal for Lopez was to increase the gym’s outreach efforts for at risk youth in our community. He had three objectives in mind — maintenance, preservation, and future development.

Before applying for his first grant, Lopez had been operating Bulldog Boxing for 22 years. In two decades, he was able to touch the lives of hundreds of kids that were more likely to be influenced by gangs, drugs, and violence in San Benito County. Through commitment, discipline, and comradery, youths have been able to take away key life lessons. Lopez explained in his Community Impact Grant Report, “Every child who attends the gym comes away with a feeling of self-pride, accomplishment, and sense of community.” For Bulldog Boxing, shaping the younger generation into respectable, confident, and community conscious individuals is a way for Lopez to ensure the improvement of quality of life in San Benito County.

The Community Foundation for San Benito County was able to grant Bulldog Boxing Gym financial support for the gym’s pressing needs in 2015. As a result the gym was able to purchase its very first computer and new gym equipment; as well as much needed van repair. Lopez explained, “We have learned that with the support of the Community Foundation, our shared interest in guiding our local youth into young adulthood with necessary tools is possible. It shows us that our youth within this great community matter, not just to the gym, but to every one of us in San Benito County.

If you would like to know more about Bulldog Boxing Gym contact Zeke Lopez by email at [email protected] or by phone (831)756-0182.

Applying for a Charitable Impact Grant is intended to be a simple process which does not require any special writing or presentation skills. If your project will be ready to start within three months, submit an application which gives you an opportunity to tell us your story, request grant amount, and provide a brief summary of the activity. Grant awards generally will range up to but not exceed $15,000.