This past weekend in Miami, Heavyweight Factory Gym Founder, Kris Lawrence, and a group of their prominent fighters, which included recently signed two-time Olympic Super Heavyweight Bronze Medallist Ivan Dychko, opened their hearts to the victims of Hurricane Irma by holding a free barbecue.

Over two 10-hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday, the group cooked and served over 2500 pieces of chicken, 1000 sausages, 800 racks of ribs, as well as baked beans and potato salad, to a hungry community still feeling the effects of the devastating hurricane.

Standing 6′ 9″ tall, Kazakhstan’s Dychko was an imposing sight at first, but quickly warmed the hearts of locals with his warm smile and tireless efforts to help. Despite the oppressive heat, he and former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe, who also volunteered his time, posed for hundreds of pictures between servings.

“Ivan was amazing,” said Heavyweight Factory Director of Boxing, Henry Rivalta. “He hung in there while the sun was brutal. His desire to stay with us and make sure the neighborhood was fed was just awesome.”

Well-known for being very giving to the needy, Lawrence is active with several charities and, every Christmas, loads a 40-foot container with toys and distributes them to children on the streets of his native Liberty City.

“Giving back to the community gave our team a chance to join together and provide nice warm meals, which have been hard to find, due to the circumstances of Hurricane Irma,” continued Rivalta.

Dychko, a heavily decorated amateur, was also a two-time world amateur championships silver medallist. He and trainer Derek Santos are hard at work at the Heavyweight Factory for his highly anticipated professional debut on September 28 in Kentucky.