Harrison Rees

Volunteer - “Life Time Member”

Harrison Rees and the Waterloo Regional Boxing Academy Began boxing 1965 and started competitive boxing 1967 after graduating high school

– won Ontario light heavy weight championship 1969 and the following two years
– silver medal in the Eastern Canadian Tournament 1970,and 1971
– New York state Golden Gloves winner 1971
– Canada Games Bronze 1971
– Began Officiating and coaching with the Waterloo Regional Police Association with Jerome ( Hook ) McComb and later Arnie Boehm
– I obtained a level three Ontario certified coaching licence and Canadian National Referee and Judge as well as an AIBA referee and judge credential
– Hook passed away and the club lost support of the Police Association
– Arnie set the club up in east down town Kitchener which proved too much for one person to handle and support failed
– I sourced my friends for people with business background,people skill and a passion for the sport of boxing. We started meeting an my home, registered the newly named club the Waterloo Regional Boxing Academy because it is a place of instruction a a non profit corporation, Registered with Boxing Ontario , found a bingo hall and many family volunteers to work the bingo
– Our hardest issue to overcome was to fine an affordable building to house the club with floor space , washrooms, and ceiling strength to support equipment. We went through four addresses before settling in with Henry Krebs in a Burlington he owned in Kitchener's east end. Which is where we stayed until Lennox Lewis stepped up with Jim Tate to bring us to the facility we now have.
– While this was all happening the Fantastic Five ( The Founders ) held their job and Business volunteered for bingo s, built rings, hung equipment .fixed plumbing and lighting and paid for a good portion with their own money as well as putting on shows taking boxers to competition and enjoying every minute of it.
– Being one of those five founders for all of us has been so gratifying things we could have ever done. A lot of the boxers that benefited from being in the organization would never meet the people that work so hard to make this happen. The original five are commemorated with the plaque in front of our entrance and we know the effort it takes to carry on the torch passed to Rick Cadilha and the great group of volunteers that support him and our Club