Like anyone who hears the story, the team at RACHAEL RAY was inspired when we first learned about Coach Khali Sweeney and the Downtown Boxing Gym youth program he leads in Detroit, Michigan. With the motto "Books Before Boxing," it has provided a safe space for kids growing up on Detroit's east side, where they learn life skills through boxing – only after they've finished their homework, which has allowed the program to boast a 100% high school graduation rate. The story struck a special chord with the RACHAEL team. Rachael has a strong passion for children's development – in the kitchen and in the classroom – and we saw the opportunity not only to tell one of the most powerful stories we've ever shared on the daytime show, but also an opportunity to make a lasting impact on a community by contributing to DBG's work and ensuring they had the resources to continue their efforts for years to come.
We sought to craft an hour-long episode that highlighted the gym's vital work through profiles of Coach Khali and the kids he helps. We also pinpointed specific improvements needed at the gym that the show could accelerate. Their "kitchen" – just a room with a microwave – desperately needed an upgrade so students had a place to consume healthy meals after school and before practice. We also pursued partners who could provide other much-needed donations so the gym's work could continue even after the cameras stopped rolling.
There was no way to tell the story of the Downtown Boxing Gym without going straight to the source. So, our entire team loaded up and traveled to Detroit for a multi-day shoot that resulted in a full-hour broadcast shot entirely on location: "Detroit: A Fighting Chance." To begin telling the gym's story, we had to start where the vision for the gym first came into focus, at the childhood home of its founder, Coach Khali Sweeney. By personalizing his story of growing up in a rough Detroit neighborhood, we gave viewers context for his dream of making the area a better place for the next generation. We also highlighted the personal stories of two students for whom the DBG has been a particular springboard to success.
There was more to the show, though, than simply telling the gym's stories; our entire staff was so moved that we wanted to make giving back to the gym a priority for the episode. Perhaps the fullest expression of this priority to come to fruition during the hour-long show was the brand-new kitchen we constructed in the days leading up to our shoot, and revealed to Khali and the students during the show. A room that could barely qualify as a break room became, over the course of a few days, a state-of-the-art kitchen, complete with new LG appliances, two kitchen islands, and a renovated study space with homework tables.
We also had the privilege of working with several other companies, many of them Detroit-based, who committed to supporting the gym in ways whose impact will be felt for years to come. The Art Institute of Michigan surprised the students with the gift of cooking lessons over the course of the year, so they could take full advantage of their new kitchen; Educational Products, Inc., provided backpacks for all students in the program that were filled with brand-new school supplies; and ConAgra Foods donated $25,000 for the gym to use at its discretion for the development of the program. Other in-show surprises included a full Thanksgiving dinner for the staff, students, and their families, and visits from two boxing legends, Evander Holyfield and Laila Ali, whose inspirational words are sure to stay with the young boxers long after they've moved on from the gym.
That combination of inspirational, in-the-moment surprise, and long-standing financial contribution allowed us to give back not only to the students currently enrolled at the gym, but to those who will join the program in future generations, ensuring that the impact of the "Fighting Chance" special will be felt long past its original one-hour airtime. And, while making a difference for the Downtown Boxing Gym was the ultimate reward, we as a show took pride in the hour from a television production standpoint, as well. We employed documentary-style cinematography and stylized editing to capture the spirit of the city and its kids.
Our "Fighting Chance" special resulted not just in a fantastic hour of television, produced and edited at the highest level. More importantly, it resulted in a boost for the gym, in more ways than one: A physical boost, with the addition of a state-of-the-art kitchen; an emotional boost, as the students had a chance to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with their families and receive wisdom from their boxing heroes; and a financial boost, both from donations made during the show itself, and an outpouring of generosity from individuals who saw the show and wanted to give back, either financially or by volunteering their time.
Since the DBG touched so many of our viewers' hearts, we brought Coach Khali and the Executive Director of the gym, Jessica Hauser, to our New York studio this spring for an in-person update on the gym and some of the students featured in the November episode, who joined via Skype. Jessica shared that the ConAgra donation allowed them to start a reading intervention program. We also surprised Jessica and Khali with an additional $25,000 donation from the Rite-Aid Foundation in the update show. Those funds have helped continue the reading program and bring 40 new students into the gym from their waiting list.
We felt privileged to become part of the DBG family during the production of this episode, and are humbled to know that the impact of the show will be felt its students and staff for years to come.
