Academy rings up first anniversary

Loughlan Wardlaw, 14, serves hors d'oeuvres to Angela Wylie, Kathy Maidens and Ali Every at the one-year celebration dinner last night. Photo / Warren Buckland

A sold-out celebratory dinner and auction fundraiser for the U-Turn Flaxmere Boxing Academy was held last night at the Elwood Road Function Centre.

Billy Graham was the guest speaker and sporting memorabilia was sold in an auction to celebrate the academy's one-year anniversary.

The academy was established with the aim of giving young men from Hawke's Bay something positive to strive towards, while being inspired to become better men by community leaders.

It teaches the values of dedication, determination, discipline and respect with classes for eight to 15-year-olds as well as young men in the 16-plus age group.

The academy was also set up to encourage a shared environment, where bad language and violence are not tolerated.

Since its inception it has been met with praise and success in the Flaxmere community and wider Hawke's Bay region.