PFL donates 10K to Dynamite Youth Center, cause close to the heart

The Professional Fighter’s League hosted a very special event on Wednesday when it brought two PFL fighters and two PFL personalities to speak at the Dynamite Youth Center in Brooklyn, NY. The center is near and dear to Loren Mack, PFL’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications who was a teen at the center during his formative years.

“I promised myself I wouldn’t get emotional” Mack said while holding back tears during the event.

According to PFL, the center "works to help dependent adolescents and young adults create positive change in their lives through a comprehensive system of care by presenting an evidence-based program model that brings about transformational successes through commitment, motivation, and compassion in a participatory, safe, family environment."

Anthony Pettis and Renan Ferreira, both fighting during the PFL’s playoffs, spoke about adversity in their past which helped to form them into adults, including the death of Pettis’ father when he was just 16. Additionally, Lillian Garcia and Randy Couture also spoke to the patrons of the center in a packed house.

“Everyone mentions my six world titles,” Couture said. “But those titles happened because of losses.”

Garcia spoke about the struggles of being a woman in the male-dominated industry and Ferreira spoke about leaving his small town in Brazil and having his family rely on him for support.

The PFL presented the director with a $10,000 donation and the fighters and personalities answered questions from the crowd and posed for photos with the youth, who were also presented with gift bags.

The most notable attendee was Pettis who took time from his weight cutting to share in the social event.

This story first appeared on FanSided.com in August 2022.