Pubdate: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC) Copyright: 2010, West Partners Publishing Ltd. Contact: http://www.kelownacapnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294 Author: Jason Luciw BOXING LEGEND DELIVERS ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE Both parents and their students in the Central Okanagan have a rare opportunity to hear Canadian boxing legend and Canada's Walk of Fame inductee George Chuvalo share his powerful anti-drug message. Canada's undefeated heavyweight champion speaks to students Friday at noon at Mount Boucherie Secondary School, Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Peachland Community Centre ($20 per ticket), prior to a boxing event, and Sunday at 1 p.m. at Kelowna's Parkinson Rec Centre (admission by donation). Mount Boucherie principal John Simonson said he jumped at the chance for his students to hear Chuvalo's powerful anti-drug message. "This is not something we were planning in September. It is a unique opportunity to piggyback on someone who's already coming," said Simonson. "Our students are excited about the opportunity to have a high-powered speaker come in, who I think is going to be very credible and share a very real story that is going to be impactful." Chuvalo is being brought to the Central Okanagan by Peachland Boxing Club coach John Wardley. The boxing coach said local youths would benefit greatly from hearing Chuvalo speak about the negative effects of substance use and abuse. "I've seen what this guy can do. And I've also seen detox, when we're not able to catch some of these youths what happens to them. They come in as shells." During his 23-year boxing career Chuvalo was a sports celebrity, appearing in Sports Illustrated several times and going toe to toe with boxing greats such as Muhammad Ali in 1966 and 1972, Joe Frazier in 1967 and George Foreman in 1970. Chuvalo retired with a record of 73-wins, 18 losses and two draws having never been knocked down in a fight. However, by the 1980s Chuvalo's personal life was steeped in tragedy, according to CBC's digital archives. "By the mid-'80s, three of George's four sons were heroin addicts and regulars of Toronto's hardcore drug scene," the CBC said. "They turned to crime to support their habit while their father chased after them around the city." George's son Jesse shot himself in 1985 because he couldn't cope with the effects of his drug addiction. In 1993, another of Chuvalo's sons, George Lee, was found dead from an overdose, the report stated. "George Lee, just days after being released from prison, is found dead in a seedy Toronto hotel with a needle sticking in his arm." Just 48 hours after George Lee's death, Chuvalo's wife Lynn overdosed on pills because she couldn't bear the pain of yet another son's death. In 1994, Chuvalo's son Steven also died of an overdose. Canada's Walk of Fame website said that Chuvalo has toured Canada and the U.S. since 1995, making over 1,000 anti-drug speeches to youth. "In 1998, Chuvalo proudly received the order of Canada for this work," noted the Walk of Fame. Incidentally, the District of West Kelowna agreed this week to contribute up to $2,500 to cover some of the costs of bringing Chuvalo to Mount Boucherie Secondary. Coun. Gord Milsom said it would be money well spent. "I feel that if George Chuvalo, through his presentation, can stop just one student from being addicted to drugs, it's worth the money we put into it," said Milsom. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D