Allen, TX – The Guns & Hoses Foundation of North Texas hosted its 24th Annual Boxing Tournament over the weekend, bringing together firefighters and police officers in a spirited competition to raise awareness and support for families of fallen heroes. The event, held in Allen, honored the fallen firefighters and police officers who have lost their lives since the foundation’s inception in 2002. Tragically, nine officers have been lost since the last tournament.
Among those remembered were:
- Assistant Chief Kevin L. Palmer, end of watch May 1, 2024
- Sergeant Billy W. Randolph, end of watch August 12, 2024
- Officer Darron L. Burks, end of watch August 29, 2024
- Deputy Sheriff Lex A. Love, end of watch October 2, 2024
- Officer Cooper S. Dawson, end of watch November 26, 2024
- Officer Jacob A. Candanoza, end of watch December 8, 2024
- Detention Officer Isaiah P. Bias, end of watch December 16, 2024
- Senior Corporal Gabriel A. Bixby, end of watch January 7, 2025
- K9 Azi, end of watch March 13, 2025
This year’s tournament featured boxing teams from local police and fire departments, with the Police Team boxing to benefit Camp Moss—an organization that offers children with heart disease a fun-filled camp experience. Meanwhile, the Fire Team was raising funds for the Buddy League, which provides recreational baseball opportunities for children with special needs.
The tournament consisted of 19 bouts, with the Fire Team emerging victorious, winning 12 bouts to the Police Team’s 7. Here are the results of each bout:
- Bout 1: Scott Castillo (Sachse Fire Department) vs. Kendall McCloud (Mesquite Police Department) – Castillo wins
- Bout 2: Raul Zaragoza (Arlington FD) vs. Steven Andrade (DPS) – Zaragoza wins
- Bout 3: Bruna Franco (Dallas FD) vs. Laura Flanagan (Dallas PD) – Franco wins
- Bout 4: Eric Pacheco (Lavon FD) vs. Rocky Pena (Dallas County Sheriff) – Pena wins
- Bout 5: Justin Brasfield (Forney FD) vs. Parker Hutchison (Garland PD) – Hutchison wins
- Bout 6: Brett Hoppe (Wylie FD) vs. Raul Veliz (McKinney PD) – Hoppe wins
- Bout 7: Brady Faulkner (Richardson FD) vs. Jacobey Kelly-Ellis (Frisco PD) – Faulkner wins
- Bout 8: Michael Tartaro (Plano FD) vs. Salvador Sanchez (University Park PD) – Tartaro wins
- Bout 9: Armando Alvarado (Lewisville FD) vs. Humberto Martinez (DPS) – Martinez wins
- Bout 10: Ellis Sherman (Desoto FD) vs. Darryl Moore (Irving PD) – Moore wins
- Bout 11: Joseph Vega (Princeton FD) vs. Adrian Hernandez (Rockwall County Sheriff) – Vega wins
- Bout 12: Gerardo Salcedo (Dallas FD) vs. Christian Hernandez (Irving PD) – Salcedo wins
- Bout 13: Erik Mason (Arlington FD) vs. Christopher Danko (Allen PD) – Danko wins
- Bout 14: Cody Ray (Garland FD) vs. Eric Jerome (Dallas PD) – Jerome wins
- Bout 15: Shobal Johnson (Carrolton FD) vs. Drake Whitted (Princeton PD) – Johnson wins
- Bout 16: Cade Bennett (Burleson FD) vs. AJ Phillips (Collin County Sheriff) – Phillips wins
- Bout 17: Ben Clements (North Richland Hills FD) vs. Richard Waters (Terrell PD) – Clements wins
- Bout 18: Ricky Loftis (Denton FD) vs. Israel Marquez (Dallas PD) – Loftis wins
- Bout 19: Kayley Hsiung (Dallas FD) vs. Chelsea Trotter (Dallas County Sheriff) – Hsiung wins
The event was a heartfelt reminder of the sacrifices made by those in public service and the ongoing commitment of the Guns & Hoses Foundation to support their families and communities. With each punch thrown in the ring, participants honored the memory of their fallen comrades while also raising funds for vital community programs.
