NEW ZEALAND: At least 800 UFC fans got to meet Kiwi star Israel Adesanya in Christchurch as he and his teammates launched a campaign against street violence.
The campaign, for the Walk Without Fear Trust, kicked off with a meet and greet session at The Hub Hornby on Saturday and a luxury car raffle.
UFC fan Tori Heslop, 15, was at the front of the queue after lining up three hours before the event kicked off at noon.
Walk Without Fear Trust chair and City Kickboxing co-founder Eugene Bareman said families and communities were destroyed each time a life was taken or shattered by a coward punch. He referenced the pain and grief Fau Vake and Daniel Nganeko’s families experienced.
“These aren’t abstract tragedies, it’s real pain, real loss. We need everyone to see these attacks for what they are: abhorrent, unforgivable, and completely unacceptable.”
UFC middleweight superstar Adesanya choreographed a dance video posted online to bring attention to the cause. “There’s no point having a platform if you can’t use it to do some good,” Adesanya said.
Coach Bareman and UFC light heavyweights Carlos Ulberg and Navajo Stirling feature in the video, a group more familiar throwing punches than busting a move.
Adesanya said “every awkward step” in the video was worth it for the cause.
“Eugene had never danced a day in his life, but we pushed him, and he pushed himself, and together we’re doing something to bring these atrocities from the dark into the light,” he said.
A limited-edition BMWM4 CSL valued at $341,000 is being raffled off at $50 a ticket, drawn at the end of November, with proceeds supporting the trust’s anti-violence programmes, social education initiatives, and national awareness campaigns.
The trust partnered with the Diamond Charitable Trust for the nationwide campaign. Its chair Alan Farragher said bringing together an “influential team” to tackle street violence would make a “real impact”.
The Press
