Our Event

On October 1st, 2021, the Classic City Showdown united UGA Greek Life and the greater Athens community for the first-ever co-ed charity boxing event. We featured 12 sanctioned boxing bouts between 24 brave men and women, each representing a Fraternity or Sorority on campus, raising over $20,000 for the Red Cross of Northeast Georgia and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

On October 14th, 2022, the Classic City Showdown is back! This year we are hosting 14 amateur bouts in benefit of the Ari Zarse Memorial Fund and the Red Cross of Northeast Georgia.

The Ari Zarse Memorial Fund:

Ariana Zarse was a junior studying business/political science at the University of Georgia (UGA). She was head of social events for Pi Phi and active in the Greek community. Over a year ago, she began training for the 2021 Classic City Showdown charity boxing event. She had never boxed before but was highly competitive and determined to make her sorority proud. She trained with Dean Agnew out of Keppner Boxing 3-4 times a week to prepare. She would spar with whomever she could, man or woman – it didn’t matter. To her, once you were in the ring, you were just another fighter. She won her match by unanimous decision.

A week after winning her match, Ari was tragically killed by a hit-and-run driver. Ari always gave more of herself than most. She loved to volunteer and work for different causes that she believed in. In that spirit, her father and extended family have set up a scholarship fund in her name with UGA. The fund will be

used to support the needs of a UGA student in one of the following areas:

- UGA Division of Student Affairs

- Academic Programs: Terry School of Business

This scholarship will be awarded to a deserving student annually to support their academic or Greek Life experience. Given Ariana’s desire to “give back,” her family feels this is a fitting way to honor her memory.

The Red Cross of Northeast Georgia:

Since 2005—during the height of relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina—the American Red Cross has been Delta Sigma Phi’s national philanthropic and service partner. Each chapter of Delta Sig maintains a relationship with its local Red Cross chapter to strengthen our partnership and philanthropic reach. The American Red

Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid and supports military

members and their families.