CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — This weekend, the Corpus Christi Police Officers Association Boxing Club is fighting for a good cause at the Omni Hotel on Shoreline Boulevard on Saturday.
The annual event is held in memory of Albert Leal Jr. — a beloved Corpus Christi police officer and accomplished boxer.
Leal was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, in 2016. Just two years later, the disease claimed his life. For his daughter, Audrie, the memory remains vivid.
"I've always known him as such a strong person. So seeing ALS take him in the two years that it did was devastating. It took his ability to speak and walk on his own,” she said.
To help others understand the disease, we spoke with local physician Yvonne Hinojosa. She explained how ALS attacks the body’s motor functions.
“The nerves of your muscles start getting smaller and smaller. So eventually you can't move your big muscles, your motor muscles. So you start getting weakness and paralysis,” said Hinojosa.
That slow and painful toll is exactly why the Leal family has turned their grief into action. For the past six years, they’ve organized the Albert Leal Jr. memorial boxing event to raise money for ALS support and other nonprofits.
“We talk about ALS. We do not send a check to a national organization that we have no idea where it goes. We keep it locally where we actually hand deliver it to a family that are dealing with ALS,” said Leal.
Albert’s brother, David Leal who is a retired officer and a gym coach, says this year’s event is shaping up to be the biggest yet. Fighters from across Texas are heading to Corpus Christi for a chance to win a championship ring — and to support the cause.
“We are getting a lot more boxers from out of the state — Houston, Austin, San Antonio, the Valley, Laredo. These are some top-notch boxers,” he said. “We got anywhere from eight years old to 35 year olds fighting. The kids just put on a show for the audience, it’s amazing.”
The event will be held Saturday at the Omni Hotel on Shoreline Boulevard. Doors open at noon, and tickets can be purchased at the door.
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