CHAVULO PULLS NO PUNCHES IN RELATING ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE

George Chuvalo's plain but powerful message against drugs struck a
chord with audiences in Kenora last week.

"Who'd ever think, when you have a beautiful baby boy in your arms,
that they could end up this way?"

"Things aren't always easy. We don't always accept each other and get
along," he said, stressing the importance of support from family and
friends.

Chuvalo concluded his two-day tour by thanking those who invited him,
as well as those who listened and shared their stories with him.

"I don't care who you are, or what you've been through, you've gotta
pull yourself up by your britches and give yourself a chance," he
said, reaching out to his listeners. "God loves you. I love you.
You've got to love yourself and respect yourself and show love to
yourself, because you're worth it," he said.

George Chuvalo earned his reputation as one of the toughest boxers in
the world by going 12 rounds with Muhamed Ali.

A fierce competitor, he was never knocked down and never knocked out
in 97 professional bouts.

He reigned as the best heavyweight in the country for 21
years.

Vintage footage from his career shows him leaning back against the
ropes, as he takes three consecutive blows to the head from an
opponent, without going down.

Tuesday's talk to the homeless

As he entered the room at Knox United Tuesday morning, before a talk
at the Agape Table, he shadow-boxed playfully with a man who jokingly
called himself Cassius Clay, Ali's name before he became world champion.

But when the subject turned to drugs, and how they destroyed his
family, Chuvalo was earnest about the deep pain that remained.

"This is not a feel good story," he said, acknowledging the horrible
details of his experiences.

He wept openly, as he recalled the loss of his son, Jesse, who took
his own life.

He spoke about how if feels to know, in your heart, the instant your
son has passed away.

And, he talked openly of the shock he felt as a parent, as police and
emergency crews attended the scene.

Sermon for Saints, Monday

Chuvalo also visited students at St. Thomas Aquinas Monday, where a
packed audience listened attentively for more than an hour.

"What happened to my family shouldn't happen to anybody else's," he
said.

In his direct manner, Chuvalo gave factual accounts of how his sons'
lives descended into the hell of overdoses, petty crime and
incarceration.

He remembered the exact dates, times and locations for each of the
three sons he lost to heroin addiction.

"On Oct. 31, 1993, Georgie died in a seedy hotel with a needle in his
arm, just days after he got out of prison," he said.

He also recalled how his wife, overcome by the loss of their second
son, took an overdose of pills and spent her last moments grieving on
her late son's bed.

He remembers seeing his son in a downtown bar, when he was so
desperate for a hit that he defecated in his pants at the sight of
heroin.

Chuvalo remembered how his son had gone straight to the washroom and
shot the drug into his veins, without pausing to clean himself up.

"Every time I tell that story, I get sick to my stomach," he said,
clearly disgusted by the image.

"If my sons could've had a glimpse of the future, they never would've
tried it," he said, reinforcing the message of prevention.

The former champion remembered pleading with the director of a rehab
centre, who had asked him to bring his son back in a couple of months
when he was clean.

Advice for future movie stars

He then took aim at the glamorized Hollywood portrayal of the drug
culture.

While referring specifically to the movie 'Pulp Fiction', he said the
characterization of John Travolta as a heroin addict was
irresponsible.

"Hollywood sends you a false message. It tells you that you can do
drugs and get away with it. Hollywood tells you that you can do drugs
and lead a normal life. Nothing could be further from the truth," he
said.

In conclusion, Chuvalo encouraged students to fill their hearts with
love from the family and friends, so that they felt strong, important
and appreciated.

"I didn't know that heroin could kill you in seven seconds," said
Grade 8 student Leighton Skomoroh.

Student president Danielle Morrison stopped by to give the champ a big
hug at the end.

"It's hard to imagine stuff like that," she said, noting the need for
further workshops and info sessions.

"It's good to see he's going 12 rounds for drug prevention," said
principal Mark Duggan, referring to Chuvalo's 12-round title bout
against Muhamed Ali.