Scott and Matt Whitteker established Ottawa’s only white-collar charity boxing gala, Fight for the Cure in 2008, in honour of their grandfather who received care from the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. Over the years, the boxing event has become a knockout success and one of the largest fundraisers supporting cancer care and research.
On October 3rd, Justin DeSa of Stittsville will be boxing for a cause in the Ottawa Hospital Foundation event – Fight for the Cure. Representing the Red Team, Justin, owner of De Sa Construction Group, will face off against Blue Team’s Justin Houle, at the Fight for the Cure. In total there will be seven matches with 14 boxers participating, including, for the first time, two female boxers.
For Justin, this fight is about much more than what happens in the ring. After months of training, fundraising and pushing himself both physically and mentally, it all comes back to one purpose: supporting the people and families whose lives have been impacted by cancer.
Justin shares his family’s story and his support of Fight for the Cure. “I have not personally had cancer. I hope I don’t go through that sickness in my lifetime. My father has had Stage 4 cancer and several other cancers including brain cancer, prostate cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and several other types that he has likely not told me about! My grandfather passed away from prostate cancer, my mother in-law overcame breast cancer and my brother in-law survived Ewing Sarcoma at the age of 15 and is now 45.”
“As you can see, The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Research Centre has saved the lives of many of my family members. My dedication to the cause runs deep and I am profoundly proud of my training leading up to this event, what my teammates have accomplished, and what Fight For The Cure has done for society as a whole.”
It has been a vigorous road filled with determination for Justin to participate in this exhibition event to support a cause close to his heart. “Starting five months ago, I dropped nearly 20lbs, have gone from barely making it through an hour of training twice a week to training 4-5 times a week for an hour to an hour and half. When I started my training, I could barely keep my hands up guarding my head throughout the entire session, but now I can do it with ease. The trainers involved have shown us tremendous support, taught us boxing techniques, and provided coping mechanisms to analyze, adapt and overcome the situations we will face in the ring next weekend on October 3rd. While this is an exhibition event, this event is sanctioned by Boxing Ontario and after the fight participants will have completed our first Amateur boxing event and will officially become Amateur boxers holding a boxing card,” said Justin.
Justin has set a goal of raising $50,000 for Cancer Research and is presently at 9%, and he is “desperately wanting to reach my goal”.
With Fight Night just around the corner, there is still time to make a difference. Donate to Justin today through https://fightforthecure.crowdchange.co/team/justindesa and help continue raising critical funds for The Ottawa Hospital’s Cancer Centre! Residents can also learn more about Justin’s story by following his Instagram page. You can also view a video of Justin sharing his inspirational story on Facebook.
The Ottawa Hospital Foundation has set a goal to raise $1.5M through Fight For The Cure and are currently at $820K. To discover more about the Fight for the Cure campaign visit the Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s website.
The Fight for the Cure charity boxing gala to support cancer care and research takes place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 5:00 – 10:00pm at the Rogers Centre (55 Colonel By Drive) Ottawa. The MC for the evening is James Duthie and the special guest is, Georges St-Pierre, a three-time former UFC Welterweight Champion.
