BOXING LEGEND DELIVERS ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE

Both parents and their students in the Central Okanagan have a rare
opportunity to hear Canadian boxing legend and Canada's Walk of Fame
inductee George Chuvalo share his powerful anti-drug message.

Canada's undefeated heavyweight champion speaks to students Friday at
noon at Mount Boucherie Secondary School, Saturday at 5 p.m. at the
Peachland Community Centre ($20 per ticket), prior to a boxing event,
and Sunday at 1 p.m. at Kelowna's Parkinson Rec Centre (admission by
donation).

Mount Boucherie principal John Simonson said he jumped at the chance
for his students to hear Chuvalo's powerful anti-drug message.

"This is not something we were planning in September. It is a unique
opportunity to piggyback on someone who's already coming," said Simonson.

"Our students are excited about the opportunity to have a high-powered
speaker come in, who I think is going to be very credible and share a
very real story that is going to be impactful."

Chuvalo is being brought to the Central Okanagan by Peachland Boxing
Club coach John Wardley.

The boxing coach said local youths would benefit greatly from hearing
Chuvalo speak about the negative effects of substance use and abuse.

"I've seen what this guy can do. And I've also seen detox, when we're
not able to catch some of these youths what happens to them. They come
in as shells."

During his 23-year boxing career Chuvalo was a sports celebrity,
appearing in Sports Illustrated several times and going toe to toe
with boxing greats such as Muhammad Ali in 1966 and 1972, Joe Frazier
in 1967 and George Foreman in 1970.

Chuvalo retired with a record of 73-wins, 18 losses and two draws
having never been knocked down in a fight.

However, by the 1980s Chuvalo's personal life was steeped in tragedy,
according to CBC's digital archives.

"By the mid-'80s, three of George's four sons were heroin addicts and
regulars of Toronto's hardcore drug scene," the CBC said. "They turned
to crime to support their habit while their father chased after them
around the city."

George's son Jesse shot himself in 1985 because he couldn't cope with
the effects of his drug addiction.

In 1993, another of Chuvalo's sons, George Lee, was found dead from an
overdose, the report stated.

"George Lee, just days after being released from prison, is found dead
in a seedy Toronto hotel with a needle sticking in his arm."

Just 48 hours after George Lee's death, Chuvalo's wife Lynn overdosed
on pills because she couldn't bear the pain of yet another son's death.

In 1994, Chuvalo's son Steven also died of an overdose.

Canada's Walk of Fame website said that Chuvalo has toured Canada and
the U.S. since 1995, making over 1,000 anti-drug speeches to youth.

"In 1998, Chuvalo proudly received the order of Canada for this work,"
noted the Walk of Fame.

Incidentally, the District of West Kelowna agreed this week to
contribute up to $2,500 to cover some of the costs of bringing Chuvalo
to Mount Boucherie Secondary.

Coun. Gord Milsom said it would be money well spent.

"I feel that if George Chuvalo, through his presentation, can stop
just one student from being addicted to drugs, it's worth the money we
put into it," said Milsom.