“The kids are able to see anything is possible,” Bandi said. “Will all of these kids say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to be an Olympic champion or a UFC champion?’ No, but they realize as kids here, anything is possible, and he gave them sort of words to live by in terms of what to do to sort of fight their way out of here, work their way out of here, persevere their way out of here, and I think it’s really important to see it can be done.”
The $5,000 will go toward the centers, which provide a beacon of hope for the community. For kids to attend, they give the center $2 per month, not because the money will help “make it or break it” as Bandi put it, but to help nature an environment of responsibility.
“It’s done more so kids and the families have an interest in it,” Bandi said. “They’re paying their way. It’s something that belongs to them. Something that’s free doesn’t have the same value that something you pay for, even if it’s a little bit, so it teaches them responsibility at an early age, and in terms of we want them to respect it too.”
