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A Few Clouds Lynbrook resident training to step in ring for November charity boxing bout
Sixty-year-old Lynbrook resident Ed “Formerly Fast Eddie” Parry joked that he was not completely sure what he was getting himself into when he volunteered to enter the ring for a charity boxing match this November.
“There’s gonna be a whole lot of people concerned about my well-being,” Parry said, “but there’s gonna be an even greater population of people hoping I get my a—kicked.”
Parry, who is the director for summer programs at Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, has volunteered to take part in the Long Island Fight for Charity boxing event on Nov. 20 at the Mansion in Oyster Bay.
The money raised will go toward local non-profit organizations, including the Long Island Community Chest, the Genesis School and the National Foundation for Human Potential. Bill Corbett, a spokesperson for the event, said that organizers expect to raise about $200,000. The annual boxing outing has garnered more than $1.1 million since its inception in 2003.
Parry is one of 14 volunteer boxers across Long Island. He will spar against a yet to be determined opponent in three one-minute rounds. He noted that boxers would be evaluated and matched up during their training sessions.
“Everyone who I have talked to that has done it has said you’re gonna be in the best shape of your life because of the boxing training,” Parry said. “ … I’m just looking forward to it. I think it’s gonna be a great event and a great night.”
Parry said he has started to workout and run, but he has yet to get into the ring. He added that he had to pass a physical examination to be cleared to compete and will be the oldest boxer at the event. The rules of participation dictate that he must also attend 20 sessions with a professional boxing trainer. Parry said he would begin doing so at the Westbury Boxing Club toward the end of June.
For Parry, there is also extra motivation to get into the ring. He shared the story of his co-worker’s daughter, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was 4 and died six months later. Her family started the New York chapter of The Cure Starts Now, an organization with a mission to find a cure for cancer.
In order to participate in the fight, Parry had to guarantee that he would raise $5,000 before the event. He added that if he raises $10,000, any additional proceeds can be split between the Fight for Charity event and a charity of his choice, which would be The Cure Starts Now. “I’m gonna go all-out,” he said.
Parry said he plans to raise money through selling tickets to the boxing event, teaming up with vendors and friends to host fundraisers in Lynbrook and by eventually creating a Go Fund Me page.
Though the thought of stepping into the ring for a fight could be daunting, Parry said he has some boxing experience and he likely won’t be nervous until the day of the bout. His wife, Jackie, however, is a different story. Parry joked that Jackie is skeptical of him getting into the ring, but was happy to see him get a full physical examination for the first time in years. She plans to attend the fight along with their three sons.
Parry will soon have to determine his entrance song and who will be part of his “entourage” — the crew that flanks him on his way to the ring. Though he is still deciding on those, he quickly came up with “Formerly Fast Eddie” as his ring nickname.
“The nickname came from the fact that when I was younger and boxing a lot, I was ‘Fast Eddie,’” he explained. “But I thought the ‘formerly’ was fitting because there’s no more fast left.”
Come Nov. 20, Parry will learn just how fast he is in the ring. For more information about the event, email info@lifightforcharity.org or call (877) 240-7821.
