Get Involded: Be In Their Corner
Three ways to make a real difference - donate, volunteer, or partner with Melrose Athletic Club.
Why Your Support Matters
Melrose Athletic Club has been serving Roanoke youth for over fifty years without fanfare, without a large marketing budget, and without stopping. Every program we offer is free. Every door we open costs money we raise from people like you. And every dollar that comes through this organization goes directly toward keeping those doors open for the next young person who needs what we offer.
The reality is simple. Without community support, there is no Champ's Gym. There is no M.A.C. Football. There are no coaches on the floor, no equipment in the ring, and no safe place for Roanoke youth to go after school. The programs that have shaped over a thousand young lives in this city exist because people believed in this mission enough to invest in it.
Your donation does not just fund a program. It funds a future. It keeps a kid off the streets and in a gym. It puts a coach on the floor who might be the most consistent adult in a young person's life. It tells a child in the Melrose neighborhood that their community sees them, values them, and is willing to fight for them.
That is what your support makes possible. And right now, we need it more than ever.
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Featured on the Melrose Athletic Club website as a community supporter.
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Website feature + recognition in the M.A.C. blog and newsletter.
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Website, blog, newsletter, plus recognition on event posters and digital promotions.
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All of the above plus a custom poster designed and displayed permanently in the gym or on the football field during games - your choice.
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All of the above plus logo featured on team assets - helmet stickers, water bottles, boxing shorts patch, and more.
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A fully tailored sponsorship package built around their goals and our mission. Let's talk.
What Our Community Says
The Numbers Behind Our Mission
City Proclamation: The City of Roanoke officially recognized Champ's Gym for five decades of service to this community. We didn't ask for it. We earned it.
Champs Gym FAQs
Give Your Time
You do not have to write a check to make a difference. Sometimes the most valuable thing you can give is your presence.
Melrose Athletic Club runs on the dedication of volunteers who believe in this mission. If you have a passion for athletics, youth development, or community service, we want to hear from you. Two volunteer opportunities are currently available:
Athletic Agility Volunteer Work directly with youth athletes in our boxing and athletic training program at Champ's Gym. Help coaches run agility drills, conditioning circuits, and skill-building exercises on the gym floor. No boxing experience required - just a commitment to showing up consistently and a genuine investment in the young people you work with.
Football Program Volunteer Support the M.A.C. Football coaching staff on the field. Assist with practice drills, player development, and game day operations. Whether you have a football background or simply love the game and love working with kids, there is a role for you here.
All volunteers work directly alongside our coaching staff and are subject to a standard background check in accordance with our youth safety policy.
*All applicants must be 18 or older. Selected volunteers will be required to complete a Virginia criminal background check and Child Protective Services clearance prior to working with youth.
Ready to get involved?
Fifty Years In. Still Fighting For Roanoke's Youth.
Your donation keeps our doors open and our athletes on the floor.