Fight for Children planners are concerned this week, as they still haven't heard from the D.C. Department of Health regarding the smoking waiver the organization recently applied for, which would allow some 2,200 guests (including boxing legend Joe Frazier) at this Thursday's Fight Night to light up. The ban would eliminate one of the evening's key components, as Fight Night has traditionally combined scantily clad waitresses, boxing, and cigars. As Yeas and Nays pointed out, 2007 may mark the first time in 18 years that guests aren't "watching the professional boxing matches through a haze of cigar smoke."
"We made the case to the city’s health department that the cigars were an important part of the evening and have been historically," Fight for Children director of external relations Jeff Travers told us on Monday. "The event has done so well, partly, in the past because of the atmosphere we’ve been able to create year after year. Are we concerned? Yes, we’re concerned about it, but we’re moving forward with the planning, and our guests are going to have a great time, and smoking won’t add or take away from the results of the evening."
Taking place at the Washington Hilton Towers, the event kicks off at 6:30, followed by dinner and four professional boxing matches, including six rounds between heavyweights Wilmer Vasquez and Corey Winfield. The Fight Night guests—predominantly men, you may have guessed—are then invited to head to the Ritz-Carlton for a joint after-party with the ladies attending the Knock Out Abuse gala.
"We made the case to the city’s health department that the cigars were an important part of the evening and have been historically," Fight for Children director of external relations Jeff Travers told us on Monday. "The event has done so well, partly, in the past because of the atmosphere we’ve been able to create year after year. Are we concerned? Yes, we’re concerned about it, but we’re moving forward with the planning, and our guests are going to have a great time, and smoking won’t add or take away from the results of the evening."
Taking place at the Washington Hilton Towers, the event kicks off at 6:30, followed by dinner and four professional boxing matches, including six rounds between heavyweights Wilmer Vasquez and Corey Winfield. The Fight Night guests—predominantly men, you may have guessed—are then invited to head to the Ritz-Carlton for a joint after-party with the ladies attending the Knock Out Abuse gala.
