Scranton MMA event raises money for man fighting COVID-19
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE / WYOU) – A mixed martial arts training center in Electric City held a tournament on Saturday afternoon to raise money for one of its own.
A fight for the family.
Scranton Mixed Martial Art Gym held a jiu-jitsu tournament on Saturday to raise money for Michael Passaniti, who has been hospitalized since December in the fight against a serious case of COVID-19.
His father, Dominic, has been an instructor at the gym since the beginning.
One of the owners tells me that they created fundraisers to help in any way they can.
“He had a lot of medical bills, he’s been to Danville since around Christmas, he’s just been moved to another locator, so it’s been really, really hard for him and his family,” said Tom McGuire, co-owner of Scranton MMA. .
More than 90 participants paid to fight in the jiu-jitsu event, including Victoria Brousseau.
Brousseau is new to the sport and finished third in the competition.
She says the fundraiser is a good cause for her gymnastics family and for raising awareness about competitive sports.
“Especially for women, it’s a really good way to learn basic self-defense at pretty much any level you start at. I would say it also helps build a lot of confidence, just learning to move your body in different ways, it’s a lot of fun, ”said Victoria Brousseau, jiu-jitsu competitor.
Several MMA schools from New York and Philadelphia came to the tournament for one thing.
“It’s a great turnout. We have a ton of people here and it’s a good time and it’s just good for everyone,” said Anthony Antonello, mixed martial artist, Scranton MMA.
All proceeds from the collection go directly to Michael Passaniti and his family. If you would like to make a donation to the family, please visit GoFundMe page.