Mountain Mettle returns Aug. 22 with focus on youth scholarships

Rise Boxing hosts its fourth Mountain Mettle on Saturday, Aug. 22, with 20 USA Boxing-sanctioned amateur bouts benefiting the RISE Strong Foundation's youth scholarship program. Photo: Town Lift // Randi Sidman-Moore

PARK CITY, Utah — When the bell rings at Rise Boxing on Saturday, Aug. 22, the gym’s fourth Mountain Mettle will look familiar — 20 USA Boxing-sanctioned amateur bouts, food trucks, a crowd along the ropes — but the money raised will follow a different path than in years past.

For the first time since Mountain Mettle’s return, proceeds will go primarily to youth boxing scholarships rather than Parkinson’s programming. The shift reflects a milestone: the gym’s Parkinson’s wellness app, funded in part by earlier Mountain Mettle events, has launched. This year’s fundraising will support the RISE Strong Foundation’s youth scholarship program, which is backed in part by the Park City Community Foundation’s Youth United initiative.

The card features 20 amateur matchups drawn from Utah and surrounding states, with eight fighters representing Rise Boxing and five spots reserved for first-time competitors. Younger amateurs will box three one-minute rounds; more experienced fighters will go three three-minute rounds. All bouts require protective headgear under USA Boxing rules.

Behind the event is Maryguenn “MG” Vellinga, a professional boxer who built Rise Boxing to fuse her competitive career with nonprofit work. A two-time national amateur champion and three-time National Golden Gloves silver medalist, Vellinga has fought twice as a pro at Madison Square Garden. She founded the gym on the premise that boxing — technical, demanding, deeply personal — can move people through whatever they are facing.

Parkinson’s remains woven into the night. The evening opens with a Parkinson’s Boxer Highlight at 5:30 p.m., recognizing participants in the foundation’s ongoing therapeutic boxing classes. According to the foundation, recent programming has included more than 150 classes for people living with Parkinson’s, over 50 youth scholarships awarded, and a $4,000 donation to Parkinson’s research. The foundation says all funds raised go directly to programs, with no administrative deductions.

Doors open at 5 p.m., with the first bell at 6 p.m. General admission is $20. Ringside tables are available by reservation through the week of the event. Tickets and information are available at riseboxing.com.