NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Grappling for a good cause at the 2nd annual On the Mat for Matt Urban Roll-a-Thon!
The three-hour Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) event took place at Integrity Martial Arts on Friday. The annual charity event raises money for Matt Urban's housing, outreach and supportive services for Buffalo's most vulnerable residents.
"We're a human services agency on the East Side of Buffalo," Matt Urban Human Services Executive Director Ryan Undercoffer said. "Most of our work is on the East Side. Housing and case management for people from all kinds of backgrounds. Low-income folks who are chronically homeless, coming from being victims of domestic violence, seniors, all kinds of different populations that we serve through case management and housing."
Undercoffer grappled with 30 opponents as a show of commitment to the cause.
"Three hours where anybody who does Jiu-Jitsu wrestling, any kind of grappling martial art, can come in and spar with new people," Undercoffer added. "The kind of challenge today is that I'm going to spar the whole time, so that's 30 rounds of sparring, three full hours, all to raise awareness of the Matt Urban Center and of the work that we do and to raise a little money for us."
WATCH: 'We believe in helping the community': On the Mat for Matt Urban Roll-a-Thon held in North Tonawanda
Integrity Martial Arts hosted the session, featuring competitions with cash prizes and raffles.
"Integrity is proud to offer Matt Urban Human Services the mat, space and support," owner Jeff Denz said. "We believe in helping the community in whatever way we can."
