A world champion boxer and a mourning mother are teaming up to promote a world without bullying.
Evander Holyfield, a five-time world heavyweight champion, hosted a fundraising event Monday at Fraserview Centre in Vancouver to support the Amanda Todd Legacy Fund, which was set up to raise funds for anti-bullying education and programs to help young people with mental health issues.
Carol Todd, mother of Port Coquitlam teen Amanda Todd, who committed suicide in October after posting a heart-wrenching video about being bullied, said Holyfield's marketing company Legacy Partners Group contacted her about the idea of raising funds in her daughter's name.
While she didn't know a lot about the boxer, she said she appreciated the efforts to support Amanda's cause.
"I am pleased to have Evander Holyfield supporting Amanda's Legacy/Memorial fund and working towards making a difference with anti-bullying initiatives around the globe ,"she told The Tri-City News. "He is someone that people look up to with his different mindfulness of others."
In addition to attending the fundraising dinner and celebrity boxing match Monday, Holyfield will donate a portion of sales from his Real Deal Grill and Real Deal BBQ Sauce to the legacy fund.
Meanwhile, other groups are also getting behind the Amanda Todd fund, including Mott Electric of Burnaby and 4th Utility Inc (Communication Solutions) of Port Coquitlam, which donated a combined total of $5,000; and the PoCo Walmart, which will be selling pink commemorative bracelets and stuffed toys with anti-bullying messages.
