Wayne Hummel to duke it out in Guns ‘n’ Hoses boxing competition matching police officers against firefighters.
By: Dick Brinster
EAST WINDSOR Police Officer Wayne Hummel is about to put his chin on the line for fallen comrades.
The eight-year veteran of the force will duke it out Saturday in the inaugural Guns ‘n’ Hoses boxing competition matching police officers from across the state against firefighters. Proceeds go to Officer Down Inc. and similar firefighters charities benefiting the families of men and women in uniform who have died or been permanently disabled.
"I try to do what I can to help with charities, especially Officer Down," said the 35-year-old officer, a father of two who also is president of PBA Local 191. "As far as our PBA, we do whatever we can to help them out."
The 5-foot-11, 178-pound policeman, who lives in Hamilton, would like to advance to the finals of the statewide competition, scheduled April 21 at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. His first fight will be at Gold’s Gym in Lawrence.
Sgt. Sean Lavin of the Mercer County sheriff’s office, said Officer Down, which he established in 2002, has provided more than $100,000 in aid to people such as 2004 recipient William Ford, an East Windsor patrolman who lost his left leg in a motorcycle accident. Mr. Ford is among Our Fallen Heroes, a group of 26 law enforcement officers honored on Officer Down’s Web site, www.officerdownnj.org.
For the right to bob and weave, and throw jabs, hooks and uppercuts, each participant will make a donation of $175 to cover the expenses of his bouts. The amateur competition, sanctioned by USA Boxing, is double elimination, with each bout scheduled for three two-minute rounds and the participants wearing headgear.
Although he’s never been in a boxing match, Officer Hummel has some ideas he hopes will helpful when he steps into the ring.
"I trained in mixed martial arts, and am a defense tactics instructor for the Police Department," he said.
Tickets for the preliminaries, scheduled to start at 10 a.m., can be obtained for $5 at Gold’s Gym, 4152 Quakerbridge Road, Lawrence. Seats for the championship bouts at Sovereign Bank Arena, 81 Hamilton Ave., Trenton, will range from $15 to $40. Tickets for the finals can be obtained at the arena box office or through the Web site www.comcastix.com.
"We have about 40 people, including about four females signed to fight, and we are looking forward to raising a lot of money for the needy families that Officer Down helps each year," Sgt. Lavin said. "We only keep enough every year to keep the company running."
So far, the Officer Down has three recipients of aid for this year and should be designating others soon, Sgt. Lavin said. He asks that anyone with knowledge of a full-time, active police officer or family of a cop who has been killed or disabled and is in need of help to contact his group on its Web site or by phone at 658-5572.

