The South Bend Police Athletic League welcomed the community to see its youth boxing club in action, by holding their first-ever Boxing Showcase!

Since 2006, the League has been encouraging kids to find peaceful and positive ways to resolve frustrations.

The community was invited to the Beacon Resource Center to watch eight matches between League boxers and learn more about the impact of the program.

The Center's Executive Director says the event brings families together with police to celebrate the program's success as a community.

“Often times, we get conflicting information on the relationship between police officers and the community, and this just highlights a positive effort that's going on in our community,” said Jeff Walker, Executive Director of Beacon Resource Center.

Organizers say many past program participants have gone on to pursue successful careers in medicine, engineering, and law enforcement.