Early 2005, our mother, Gerrell was not feeling quite right. Her health seemed to be declining in several different ways. She was running a low fever with flu like symptoms and experiencing weight loss. After a visit to her doctor, the results of several tests confirmed her worst fears, her cancer from one year ago had returned and spread. She now had three tumors in her abdomen, one in her liver and two surrounding her right kidney. Treatments began immediately. Her youngest daughter, Sheree, called her the morning of her first treatment. She reminded her of the fight that she was in and told her to put on her boxing gloves and get ready to fight. That first treatment landed her in the hospital. Sheree brought her a pair of boxing gloves with hand-written messages from her family. As days went by friends, family and hospital personnel visited, everyone would ask about the boxing gloves that hung in her room. As loved ones visited, they would write a note of love and hope on the boxing gloves for Gerrell to revisit whenever she needed to be encouraged. In just a short while the gloves were almost covered with these messages of inspiration. Gerrell was continually reading the gloves and thought that they were a great reflection of both her fight against this horrible foe and the support she had in her corner. It became apparent to the family that the gloves with all the notes and messages represented a constant visual reminder of hope and the struggle for victory over her illness. This provided the catalyst for the decision to launch a business to supply gloves to those in need of hope and inspiration during their personal struggle, be it physical or emotional. The business name of “My Knockout” seemed a natural fit. Gerrell ultimately lost her fight but never gave up her fight through all the pain and suffering. She was also steadfast in her belief that the business of providing these gloves to people in need go forward and become an inspiration to many. The above reflection of our mother’s last several months with us and her determination to press on with this venture brings us to this introduction of our products and services to you. Opportunities exist minute to minute to provide positive support for family, friends, co-workers or even strangers, the challenge is to not let that opportunity pass us by. Almost everyone at one time or another has faced a period in their life where someone they knew or loved needed a show of support from them. We believe that “My Knockout” gloves provide a unique way to display this much needed support. A portion of all proceeds from the gloves & t-shirts will be donated to the American Cancer Society for cancer research.