Jeffries on the charity trail again
Olympic Bronze medallist Tony Jeffries, who has once again been nominated for the BBC North East Sports Personality of the Year, is back on the charity trail again - this time for our forces in the Middle East.
The Sunderland boxing star is undefeated in four professional contests and convinced promoter Frank Maloney to invest in North East boxers from the Tyne to the Tees.
Jeffries, 24, has worked tirelessly for the area, raising over £50,000 for local charities and is not stopping yet.
Despite having his next fight delayed due to a sparring injury the Wearside boxer has turned his attention to the shoe-box campaign being run by the local Royal Artillery Club for the forces serving in Middle East.
This weekend Tony will donate 20 training hoodies specially inscribed for the servicemen with 'Best Wishes Team Jeffries' on the back and 'Hero' on the front.
Tony explained: " 'Hero' is meant for the guys out there who are the real heroes.
"I don't like it when people call me or other sportsmen heroes, because we are just good at what we do.
"They are out there risking their life for their country; they have got so much bottle and courage. They are the real heroes".
'Jaffa's' trainer at the Manchester Boxing Academy Bobby Rimmer added: "When Tony mentioned about donating gifts for our boys out there I immediately ordered 20 t-shirts to be sent from the Academy to the Sunderland collecting depot."
With Tony based in Manchester for training purposes, Michael Bute author of 'The Olympian' which charted the hot prospect's road to Beijing, has been co-ordinating with Sunderland's Royal Artillery Club.
Bute's brother, Michael who coached Tony to all his ring successes as a teenager will donate 20 copies of the book.
He said: "The books will be signed by Tony and me for the lads.
"There are less than 300 of the limited edition book remaining out of a 1,000 print-run. A couple of copies were dispatched to 42 Commando unit earlier in the year.
"Though they were originally sent out for the Mackems serving in the Gulf, the books have been well received by others from outside the region."
Beneficiaries who have signed copies include Niall Quinn, Dudley Saville (ex-member of ABA Schoolboy Executive Council), James R. Wright (High Commissioner for Canada), Sir Neville Trotter (British American Chamber of Commerce), and Sir Alan Collins, who was British Consul in Singapore when Britain won the rights to the 2012 Olympics. Sir Alan now USA consul will be a co-ordinator for those Games.
Michael and Tony will be doing a book signing at Waterstones in The Bridges on Saturday 28 November at 1pm.
