Rivera Bros. Gym needs new Lynn locale

LYNN – Wanted: a vacant, no-rent building in Lynn where about 50 local youths can learn the art of boxing.Alex Rivera of Reading, owner and operator of the Rivera Brothers Boxing Club, learned last week the present quarters in a commercial building at 52 Columbia Ave. is no longer available.For nearly four years, the club has enjoyed free rent, courtesy of landlord David Potter. The club has attempted to keep pace with the utility bills as part of the agreement, although not always successfully, leaving Potter to foot the bill.”We have no water and no heat,” said Rivera’s wife, Cara Stone. “And right now, we have nowhere to go.”The boxing club caters to youths between the ages of six and 20. Most are Lynn residents, although a few hail from surrounding communities.”We have 50 kids who come here and a few adults. Some of these kids have been with me for four years,” Rivera said. “It keeps them off the streets. It keeps them from getting into trouble. I even go to the kids’ schools to check on how they’re doing. If they’re not doing (well) with their school work, then they get suspended from the gym.”Rivera said the club benefited from Potter’s generosity but times have changed. “No doubt about it, he gave us a good deal for a small amount of money. All he told us was to keep the place nice, so we pick up litter and clean the snow from the sidewalks,” he said, adding the club cannot afford the utilities despite the free rent.According to Rivera, the club must vacate the premises by the end of January. He has asked City Councilor Richard Ford for assistance in helping the club find a new home.”The situation is taking its toll on these kids,” said Ford, a strong supporter of the boxing program. He vowed to help Rivera find new quarters.”I see lots of vacant buildings all around Lynn ? stores, old churches, empty fire stations. If the city has an empty building, I can go into it and keep these kids off the street,” Rivera said.Potter said local real estate taxes on the Columbia Avenue building are approximately $15,000. The boxing club has been thousands of dollars in arrears on the heat bill, he said, explaining that the lack of heat could lead to frozen pipes and problems with the sprinkler system.”Even though they are a non-profit, I don’t get a break,” Potter said. “The taxes are high on that building compared to what they are in other cities. Believe me, it’s a good cause. I believe 100 percent in kids learning self defense, learning to box, gaining self-confidence and staying away from the gangs. But the club does not bring in any income. If I were in a position to continue to help, I would.”The boxing club was originally run by three brothers, but Andy Rivera moved to Florida and Albert Rivera to Puerto Rico.”It’s just me now,” said Rivera, noting that last year he took a team of eight boxers to compete in the Golden Gloves tournament at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. “We went with eight and only two lost,” he said. “The others went on to win Golden Gloves titles, and two went further to win a tournament championship, which means they fought Golden Gloves in four different cities.”Rivera said his boxers shined at the competition. “We also won the team trophy last year and one of my guys won best fighter of the whole tournament, which is a big compliment,” he said. “And another one of my kids went on to fight in Colorado for a national title, where he came in third.”The 2010 Golden Gloves has already begun. “This year, I don’t have as many guys, but three from Lynn will fight in the open class in Lowell, and if they win, they advance to Kansas City, Missouri.”