Morgan Park's Nick McNally - CPA By Day, Boxer by Night

By day Morgan Park’s Nick McNally is a mild-mannered certified public accountant. By night the 27-year old is a fierce heavyweight boxer stepping into the ring for a great local cause.

McNally is first on the fight card in the “Thursday Night Fights,” the fundraiser for Christmas Without Cancer Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 115 Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park.

McNalley trains at the Celtic Boxing Club Chicago under the watchful eye of Dan Letz and Mike Joyce.

“Nick is an ideal guy in the gym because he comes in, puts in the work you need to be successful and leads by example,” said Letz.

McNally lost his first fight at last year’s Thursday Night event in a split decision and wanted back in for more than just to avenge a loss.

“Until you see how cancer impacts a family first hand you can’t understand what it does beyond the person with cancer - how it affects kids, parents, brothers and sisters and friends,” said McNally. “Anything we can do to help, we will do, but it doesn’t compare to what Christmas Without Cancer is doing to bring the simple pleasures of Christmas back into their lives.

“All we're doing is getting in the ring for six minutes to do something we love and if it helps to raise money to help families, then that’s great.”

Gerri Neylon founded Christmas Without Cancer to raise funds to help families fighting cancer, and, through the crusade, others have devised clever ways to bring their passion in sync with hers.

In all, the Celtic Boxing Club of Chicago will present 10 live boxing bouts Thursday, May 23, 2018 at 7 p.m. at 115 Bourbon Street, 3359 W 115th Street in Merrionette Park. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 under 21, with all proceeds benefitting Christmas Without Cancer families.

“We’re helping people help people,” said Letz, an organizer with Mike Joyce. The two expanded the event’s reach to include talent from Celtic Boxing Club Chicago, USA Boxing and Letz Box Chicago.

Honing their skills and becoming better boxers parallels the challenges Neylon faces as more and more families seemingly are facing the monster cancer. Without people like Letz and Joyce investing time and their own resources the Christmas Without Cancer coffers would be empty.

“I was floored last year when they told me boxing would bring crowds,” said Neylon. “I couldn’t believe how many people showed.”

The Sweet Science is a curious sport, and those who choose to enter the ring and exchange punches draw support from their respective inner circle out, which means a Thursday night fight in the neighborhood draws family members, friends, fans and former local legends like Jack Collins, a Leo product who competed for the Middleweight championship of the world in the 1980s.

Like last year, Collins will get reacquainted with old friends, take photos and size up the young pugilists stepping in the ring.

In addition to McNally, local boxers on the card include: Ryan Clancy, 18, (Junior Novice Golden Glove Champion) of Mount Greenwood; Danny Ford, 22, of Morgan Park; Ray Delaney, 25, of Mount Greenwood; Nick McNalley, 27, Morgan Park; Colin Murphy, 14 of Mount Greenwood; Tommy McGuire, 15 of Mount Greenwood; Jake Moriarty, 20, of Evergreen Park (2019 165-pound Gold Glove semi-finalist); Elijah Pearson, 18, of Washington Heights (2019 178-pound novice division Gold Glove Champion.)

Again this year, Neylon will reprise her role as ring announcer, channeling her best Michael Buffer. After a heart-felt thank you to all those in attendance, the junior featherweight RN, recently retired from Advocate Christ Hospital, will grab the ring microphone and bellow: “Let's Get Ready to Rumble for Christmas Without Cancer families.”

“This is the kind of community we live in,” said Letz, “where people come for a good cause and to help others.”

Christmas Without Cancer is a nonprofit charity that identifies need and then provides gifts and basic necessities to Chicagoland families with members stricken with cancer so to allow the beauty of Christmas to shine through while family members find comfort in their devotion to one another.

www.christmaswithoutcancer.org

To sponsor, donate or for more information, contact Dan Letz: 773/443-0624, danletz@yahood.com. Sponsorships are still available.