BROWNING — The Blackfeet Nation Boxing Club is not just a place for aspiring fighters - it is also its own little community for those who aspire to live the best life possible.
Owner Frankie Kipp is known for his youth activism in Browning. He explained his reason for wanting to help kids in the community.
"I know what it's like to be hungry," Kipp said. "I know what it's like to want better things in your life. I come from Browning with nothing. To say that I would be doing what I'm doing today, was not even in the picture. I want kids to know that there's hope out there."
Kipp added that the current boxing gym has some wear and tear such as molding walls as well as lack of efficient heating. He hopes to get those faults adjusted so the kids can be in a comfortable environment.
Kipp said that there were donations sent to them from different organizations such as clothing and games for the kids to play at the youth community center.
At the Youth Community Center, Kipp says he hopes to provide some additional services such as suicide prevention, as well as anti-bullying.
"A couple nights a week, we have prevention talks," Kipp said. "Sometimes kids would sit and talk about what's going on with them. Sometimes that's how I found out when a kid was contemplating suicide.
A term that Kipp emphasizes is "Positive Citizen."
Kipp stated, "A positive citizen works, tries hard, goes to school, graduates, and does the best they can, and if I can help along the way that some of these kids achieve that. That's what we're about."
The new boxing gym will be attached to their current one. Contractors said construction is expected to be complete by mid-November if everything goes to plan.
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