Soul City: A Project to Engage Toledo Youth

A red brick building on Junction Avenue in Toledo, Ohio with colorful art on the front end and inspirational quotes for young students entering the gym. Walking in the smell of sweat and heat from gym goers permeate throughout the building. Music plays loudly up the stairs as 30 students are dancing and warming up for boxing practice to begin. Three older students are at the front of the room leading the rest. Younger students smile and play, while older students display a penetrating focus.


Soul City Boxing and Wrestling was opened in 2008 and has been the after school home for students where they complete homework and learn sports that help provide guidance and structure. In 2013 the Toledo Blade ran a series of stories covering gang violence in the neighborhoods surrounding the gym. Head coach Roshawn Jones opened Soul City to help students avoid gang lifestyles and give back to his community. The gym is open to students as school is released for them to complete school work and receive tutoring. Practices then run from 5 pm to 7 pm. During the summer their number of students doubles to 60 a day, and through partnerships of other charities, Soul City provides lunches and dinner for kids.


Coach Jones and four others on staff are all volunteers in this not-for-profit gym. The gym is maintained only by donations through other organizations that believe in their work. In order provide the students more space and better training, they need to complete renovations to the new boxing ring and jungle gym for their building. Only $5,000 is needed to complete this project. Join Soul City Boxing and Wrestling in providing these kids a fighting chance to become a success story by donating to this campaign. Your contribution will go a long way to make central Toledo a better environment for kids to succeed.

Any and every donation will help this cause, and help Soul City have a greater impact on these kids lives.