St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office PAL Boxing Club hosts open house

DULUTH, Minn. — The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office Police Athletic League Boxing Club hosted its first open house this evening.

The boxing club is located in the former First Presbyterian Church on East 2nd Street. The program came together through community partnerships and donations. This included equipment and financial support that helped transform the once-empty space into a fully functioning boxing gym. The PAL Boxing Club operates as a nonprofit, providing free boxing training to kids ages eight to 18.

It’s a partnership between the community and law enforcement,” said Matt Miranda, Investigator for the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. “I mean, there’s no secret that these days, you know, not every kid looks at a law enforcement officer and says, ‘ That’s somebody that I can trust,’ and the key to working on that is just to have positive interactions between cops and young kids.”

Coaches at the gym include local law enforcement officers and experienced boxers like former pro boxer and Deputy of the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, Joe Lorenzi, who says boxing changed his life.

“For me, it saved my life,” said Deputy Lorenzi. “When I was growing up, I was kind of a knucklehead, so getting into the gym, it really just kind of turned me around, gave me some purpose, gave me some drive, learned a ton of discipline, and found a sense of like belonging. So that’s what we’re hoping to continue here.”

The boxing club officially opens on Tuesday, Feb. 10, where the next generation of boxers can begin training.