Oyster Bay's Alex "El Torito, The Baby Bull" Gallego of Stifel Nicolaus fought Brian "The Hyatt Hitman" Kramer in the ring at the Fifth Annual Long Island Fight for Charity on Nov. 19, at the Long Island Hilton in Melville. The two men went punch for punch for three rounds to support local not-for-profit organizations.

"Being in the ring was a very overwhelming and exciting experience," said Alex Gallego. "We had a lot of hometown people there and that made things special. Most important was that we got publicity for the Hispanic Cultural Center (HCC) C.A.R.E. program and that funds were raised not only for them, but for all those wonderful charities," he said. The C.A.R.E. program provides a safe after-school environment to over 70 children from minority homes. A school enrichment program concentrating on homework help and language skills, C.A.R.E. gives High Hopes (its theme song) to children who are now succeeding in school and safe from negative influences outside the home.

Mr. Gallego said, "I was happy to have friends and family and supporters there. It was a very exciting evening."

Alex and the HCC added a special verve to the evening, he was "played" into the arena by a Mariachi band. "We thought we'd throw a little showmanship into the mix. The band thought it would be good publicity for themselves," he said. "And I put on a good show against 'Brian the Hitman Hyatt.'"

Margaret Sapienza, Mr. Gallego's assistant at Stifel Nicholas said, "It was extraordinary - more than I anticipated. There were over 1,200 people attending. It was sold out. There were a tremendous number of food vendors, jewelry vendors and lots of raffles.

"The Mariachi Band escorted Alex into the ring. His wife and children were there rooting him on.

"He sold about 65 tickets at $100 each and he raised over $11,000 for the HCC. There were 10 fighters in all. There are no losers. They don't pronounce a winner. It was an evening for everybody to win. Alex did a tremendous job!"

Another Oyster Bay resident took a turn in the ring. "Wally Mathews, a Newsday sports writer, was there with his wife Leslie. He was the 10th fighter and he did an extraordinary job. He is one of the toughest and most experienced boxers in the group. They are friends of mine," said Ms. Sapienza.

"Everyone had a wonderful time and they raised a lot of money for their charities," she added.

Rosemary Colvin, a Hispanic Cultural Center board member, agreed with her. "It was great. It was just so much fun. I couldn't believe it. There was so much gourmet food. The tables filled the wide corridors at the Hilton. There was so much gourmet food all over, everything you could think of: There were hamburgers, sushi, Chinese, every kind of Italian food so you just didn't know what to have! There was also a dessert table," she said.

Michele Browner was there with the family's company GourMelts. It is a new product invented by the Browner brothers and introduced in 2006. It is round sliced cheese perfectly sized (and shaped!) for burgers, bagels, rolls and English muffins, currently offered in two bold flavors: Habanero Jack and Smokey Cheddar. It is available in specialty retail stores. For further information visit www.gourmelts.com.

"Many companies are offered the opportunity to promote at the Fight for Charity in order to gain greater exposure for their products or services. The entire event is produced without any cost. All services, including the Hilton Long Island, Melville location, are donated. Therefore, all proceeds from this event directly benefit the recipient charities," said Ms. Browner. She was delighted that Mary Donna Kappel of Tuesday & Company, floral designers, volunteered to help at her booth.

Ms. Colvin said Marcella and John Specce were there as were Alex's three kids all dressed in red to match his trunks. The trunks sported a belt from Oyster Bay's newest business Fitness Together. She said, "It was a lengthy event. There were several women boxing - they wore pink trunks. Each fighter did three - three-minute rounds and in between there were girls dressed in skimpy outfits and really built guys who came out and sang. There were 10 rounds and by number six they were serious boxers.

"Alex did really well and he was fighting against a really tall man - and he won his bout. There were many draws. The last four fighters were people who took it seriously. Alex really trained for the event. Luz Torres, of HCC, found the Mariachi band and they played in his corner. They were looking for some publicity, too. Overall, I was amazed by the numbers of people attending. It was huge. It was great fun and they announced that Alex raised $8,000," she said.

Ms. Colvin said, "He was great. He is so friendly. He was delighted when he won. He really trained and gave a good performance. Alex did great." The Mariachi band was a nice plus.

The boxing matches were judged by a panel of celebrity judges including Angela Susan Anton, publisher of Anton Community Newspapers, which includes the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot.