NYCHA - Announces Berry Houses Boxing Gym Opening

NYC Housing Authority


Press Release


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 17, 2013
Contact: media@nycha.nyc.gov, (212) 306-3322

NYCHA Joins Assemblyman Michael Cusick and Noted Trainer Teddy Atlas to Announce Opening of Boxing Gym for Youth at Berry Houses

The Atlas NYPD Cops & Kids Boxing Gym will serve 100-200 youth in the Staten Island community

New York City Housing Authority Chairman John B. Rhea joined New York State Assemblyman Michael Cusick, Richmond County District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan, and legendary boxing trainer and ESPN commentator Teddy Atlas to celebrate the opening of the Atlas NYPD Cops & Kids Boxing Gym at the Berry Houses Community Center in Staten Island. The gym will serve 100-200 youth in the Berry Houses and the community at large.

“Providing our youth with programming that will reduce both the likelihood and incidence of crime is critically important to NYCHA in its commitment to provide safe, affordable housing and access to community services,” said NYCHA Chairman John B. Rhea. “NYCHA is grateful to Assemblyman Cusick and the Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation for introducing this boxing program to the community of Berry Houses in Staten Island.”

The boxing program, the second of its kind in Staten Island, is funded in part by Assemblyman Cusick, DA Donovan, and the Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation, which partnered with the NYPD Cops and Kids boxing program to make the new gym a reality.

“Creating a place for children as an outlet like The Atlas NYPD Cops & Kids Boxing Gym is fundamental for our youth, said Assemblyman Michael Cusick. “A boxing gym that has its ties to an iconic trainer like Teddy Atlas is an asset that the whole community will, without a doubt, take advantage of. In specific, I am very glad that this gym was located at the Berry Houses and am excited to see the great outcomes of this program in the future.”

“Drugs, gangs and idle time combine to harm our children every day throughout New York City,” said Teddy Atlas, founder of The Theodore A. Atlas Foundation. “The Atlas NYPD Cops & Kids Program is a proven, common sense, preventive medicine to combat this. Our program teaches discipline, self reliance, physical fitness and nutrition as well as boxing. The young men and women that are in our program are the proof of our success.”

“Members of the boxing program typically go on to become productive members of society,” said Marcus Browne, a 2012 Olympian and product of the boxing program in Park Hill, Staten Island. “The common denominator in all of the youths’ feelings on the program is if it were not for the program, either they would be in jail, or would have tried drugs, or would have joined a gang.”

The weekday program encourages youth to be disciplined not only in the sport of boxing, but also in school. The gym will also be a training site for youth who are interested in entering future Golden Gloves boxing competitions, as well as other tournaments. The program is free for those who register.