NILES, Ohio - NILES - Boxing legends and local celebrities stepped up to the plate Saturday evening for a cause close to home.

The Rallying for Robert celebrity softball game at Eastwood Field in Niles brought the Mahoning Valley together to support Brookfield resident Robert Lucarell, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2018. Since then, he has endured multiple hospital stays and surgeries, but said he wanted to turn his battle into something bigger.

“I thought about giving up about life, but I said, I gotta keep going,” Lucarell said. “Even though you have this disease, still chase your dreams and live your life normally.”

The fundraiser benefitted the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and was managed by Youngstown boxing icons Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini and Kelly “The Ghost” Pav

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