NOVEMBER 22, 2023 LIBERTY FIRST CREDIT UNION ARENA
Blue Collar Boxing is an exciting and competitive boxing event featuring local labor union members that duke it out in the ring to raise money for our community. Thanks to countless supporters, this year’s event was an absolute knockout!
STRONGER TOGETHER Partners since 1941, the relationship between the Omaha Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO and United Way of the Midlands is built upon a mutual desire to create a better, stronger and more vibrant community. We work together to expand opportunities within the trades and increase the qualified workforce in Nebraska, and it’s this shared commitment to the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro that led to the creation of the Blue Collar Boxing amateur boxing event in 2019.
FIGHTING FOR A BETTER TOMORROW There were plenty of local labor union members that were up for the challenge of participating in this year’s Blue Collar Boxing event! Individuals from 13 different labor unions signed up to train and be part of the big night.
• Bricklayers 15 • Plumbers 16 • Steamfitters 464 • IBEW 763 • FOP Lodge 88 • Laborers 1140 • IBEW 22
• Teamsters 554 • Ironworkers 21 • IATSE Local 42 • Interior Systems Local 1306 • Sprinkler Fitters 669 • FOP Lodge 3
THE WINNER IS OUR COMMUNITY The proceeds from Blue Collar Boxing benefit the Nebraska Center for Workforce Development and Education and United Way of the Midlands by helping individuals attain marketable job skills, assisting with job placement and providing essentials such as food, housing and health services.
Nebraska Center for Workforce Development and Education The Nebraska Center for Workforce Development and Education (NCWDE) is a nonprofit focused on creating opportunities for individuals to gain exposure to careers in the trades and increasing awareness of these high-income, high-benefit career paths. Through their partnerships and programs, they are helping to increase the qualified workforce in Nebraska – specifically within the trades – to help address the shortage of skilled-labor workers and support the infrastructure of the State of Nebraska.
United Way of the Midlands United Way of the Midlands (UWM) brings together the business and not-for-profit sectors to raise and invest funds in our community’s most-effective health and human services programs. By using its community-wide perspective to address ever-evolving needs, UWM forms a Circle of Support and funds more than 100 programs and direct services – including the 211 Helpline and JAG Nebraska – that address social and economic disparities and meet families’ essential needs such as healthy food, safe and stable housing, physical and mental health services, career preparation, job training and programs to help children succeed in the classroom.
The Funds Raised Through Blue Collar Boxing Will Have An Important Impact Across The Omaha-Council Bluffs Metro They will help United Way of the Midlands: • Provide 20,000 meals • Improve physical and mental health for 150+ people • Teach nearly 100 students critical life skills • Help 100 adults find a job or increase their income They will also help the NCWDE support operating costs for their programs, including: • Project Reset – mentors justice-involved individuals so they can move into a skilled labor and trade career. • GRIT Resiliency Training – helps participants recognize the symptoms of stress, PTSD, traumatic events, suicidal thoughts and the importance of focusing on mental health. • T.O.O.L.S. – Trades Offer Opportunities that Lead to Success (T.O.O.L.S.) provides presentations about apprenticeship career training and opportunities in the trades industry to youth in the Omaha Metro area.
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS An event of this size doesn’t happen without the support of numerous businesses and individuals. So many people stepped up and said they were willing to stand in our corner, and we are so grateful for their support!
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SPLIT THE POT SPONSOR
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SAVE THE DATE We hope you will consider joining us for next year’s Blue Collar Boxing, which will take place on November 27, 2024. You can email jbruns@nebraskaworkforce.org to secure a sponsorship for next year today!