Monday, May 28, 2007
Kelly Pavlik — The boxer’s latest fight Sunday was against cancer.
By JEANNE STARMACK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN — Would anyone stand a Ghost of a chance in getting a drink at Tiffany’s Bar and Grille on Sunday?
People stood three-deep behind those lucky enough to get a seat around the bar as “Hot Jen” Garczewski, an experienced bartender, did her best to keep up with drink orders.
But she had help, too. Kelly Pavlik, there to celebrate his boxing victory over Edison Miranda in Memphis last weekend, had taken a break from mingling with well-wishers and signing autographs at his victory party. He stepped in to pour drafts for the fans and friends who’d come to celebrate with him.
When he tried earlier to assess his bartending skills, Pavlik didn’t exactly have the eye of the tiger.
“Uh, not good — probably not good at all.” He had the eye of the deer in the headlights.
No problem. If the bartending thing doesn’t work out, he still has that “undisputed No. 1 contender for middleweight championship” gig going on.
And if a fan or two went a little thirsty waiting on their drink, they would surely forgive him.
Because there was plenty of community pride on tap at Tiffany’s for Pavlik, and it was flowing fast.
Tips for charity
It was that pride, plus the desire to help out kids who wage their own fights every day against cancer, that filled Tiffany’s with people.
All of Pavlik’s bartending tips were being donated to the Jessica Moorhead Foundation for Hope, which helps patients of the Children’s Care Center for Blood and Cancer in Youngstown.
The foundation was named for an Austintown girl who was 16 when she died of leukemia in 2003.
“Anytime I can do something special, like for this event, I’ll be there in a split second,” Pavlik said.
That’s truly his nature, his friends are quick to point out.
“He’d do it in a heartbeat. That’s what sets him aside from all the other boxers and star athletes,” said friend Mike Romeo.
Paul Kello, who’s known Pavlik since they were 8 or 9 years old, said Pavlik has talked about establishing his own charity, but does not yet have one.
Kello knew about the Moorhead foundation — his cousin is married to a member of Jessica Moorhead’s family. He talked it over with Pavlik and then arranged it with Garczewski and her mother, Denise Favek, wife of Tiffany’s owner.
“I very much admire him, bringing it all back to the community,” said Jenifer Moorhead, Jessica’s mother and a co-founder of the foundation. “He and I have a common goal — to help the community,” she said. Her daughter, who touched a lot of people in her struggle against her illness, was an awesome girl, Moorhead said. “I’m glad to carry a little bit of that on.”
Pavlik and the Moorhead Foundation both got plenty of community support Sunday in their bout against cancer.
“Oh yes, we’re fans,” said Kim Brincko of Canfield. “And we came to support the cause.”
“We’re very proud of him,” added Bernie Krispinsky of Austintown.
Ross Morrone, who remembered Pavlik from high school days in Lowellville, stood in line to get an autograph with Stephanie Pridon of Poland. Yes, they’re big fight fans.
But Pridon’s aunt, Tracy Pridon, is on the board of the foundation. “We’re also here for the foundation,” Morrone said.
Chris Cefalde and Tom Miller, friends of Pavlik’s who live in Austintown, said they went to Memphis last weekend. It’s exciting, they said, to see a good friend have so much success.
“And it’s good for him to help others through the foundation,” said friend James Ceci of Youngstown.
Tracy Pridon circulated through the crowd selling raffle tickets. Romeo, holding a pair of red boxing gloves, shook his head in disbelief over them. The gloves, actually worn in a recent fight by Pavlik, were the raffle prize.
“Most fighters don’t give their gloves,” Romeo said.
This fighter will even pour you a beer. And he must not be too bad at it after all. He got $1,800 in tips.