By Matt Youngfrau
FALLSBURG — June 28, 2002 – For the last year, Fallsburg business owner Tom Chi has been restoring the Main Street Gym in South Fallsburg.
The gym has been named a part of the county’s Empire Zone and will feature many various programs. The entire upstairs of the gym will be dedicated to boxing. Chi not only plans to have a training area for boxers, but the facility will also be used for a youth boxing program.
On Thursday, June 20, Chi received some professional advice on how to design the boxing area. Professional heavyweight boxer Lou Savarese paid a visit to the gym to tour the facility and offer Chi some advice.
“He was a really nice man,” Chi commented. “He was totally supportive. He took a look at the layout and offered some tips.”
Savarese was brought to the Main Street Gym by Town of Fallsburg Councilman Neil Gilberg. He and Savarese are friends and Savarese offered to come down to look at the facility and offer tips to improve it.
“Lou came up and gave Tom some ideas,” Gilberg said. “He gave Tom some ideas on how to build the program. Lou will continue to work with him.”
Chi stated that Savarese, who will soon square off against fellow heavyweight Tim Witherspoon, will occasionally return to train at the gym and work with the kids in the boxing program.
“I thought it was very encouraging,” Fallsburg Police Chief Brent Lawrence said.
Both the Fallsburg Police Benevolant Association (PBA) and the department’s DARE program are slated to be a part of the gym’s youth boxing program.
“He was a cool guy and a positive role model,” Lawrence said of Savarese. “He is willing to help Tom and he will teach the kids discipline and respect. It was nothing but positive all the way around.”
The youth boxing program will be called Teen Esteem. Fallsburg Police Department DARE Officer Simmie Williams and Lance McCauley will work with the youths.
Chi expects the gym to be opened no later than August 1. Within a year, he hopes to have a Golden Gloves boxing team at the facility.