Behind The Gloves turns SBC Summit Canada into $10,000 charity drive
Well-being and mental health initiative Behind The Gloves has raised CAD$ 10,000 (€6,500) for Toronto charity Interval House following fundraising efforts held during SBC Summit Canada.
The contribution was generated through a series of boxing/fitness sessions hosted during SBC Summit Canada (19-21 May, Toronto). The sessions were backed by industry leaders, sponsorship and charitable engagement to support women and children affected by partner violence.
The initiative was supported by lead sponsor Blazesoft and long-term partner Bede Gaming, with funds directed to Interval House, a Toronto-based charity providing emergency shelter, counselling services, crisis intervention and long-term support programmes.
Created for the iGaming and sports betting sector, Behind The Gloves uses boxing-led sessions, movement and wellbeing activities to create networking environments outside traditional conference formats. The initiative aims to strengthen professional relationships while building wider community engagement and charitable impact.
What began as early-morning wellness sessions at SBC Summit Canada developed into a wider industry fundraising effort, bringing together operators, suppliers and stakeholders around a common social objective. The model reflects a growing trend across gambling and betting businesses to align event participation and sponsorship activity with measurable corporate responsibility outcomes.
Explaining the purpose behind the programme, Behind The Gloves Founder Lee McFarland said the initiative had never been designed solely to run conference sessions.
“Behind The Gloves was never created just to run sessions at events. It was created to bring people together in a more meaningful way and to use that engagement to create something positive beyond the industry itself.”
McFarland added that the donation demonstrated what could be achieved through industry collaboration.
“The donation to Interval House is proof of what can happen when the right people, partners, and purpose come together. That’s what makes this initiative so powerful — the impact doesn’t stop when the event finishes.”
Lead sponsor Blazesoft backed the initiative as part of its wider focus on partnerships capable of creating social value beyond commercial outcomes. Chief Commercial Officer, Yuliya Ivanisova, said supporting Behind The Gloves allowed the company to participate in an initiative combining industry engagement with community impact.
“At Blazesoft, we believe the strongest partnerships are the ones that create lasting value for both people and communities. Supporting Behind The Gloves at SBC Summit Canada gave us the opportunity to be part of something that combined industry engagement with genuine social impact.”
Ivanisova added: “We’re proud to support an initiative that brings people together while contributing to an important cause.”
Supporting partner Bede Gaming also highlighted the wellbeing element of the programme as central to its involvement. Jess Marrs, VP Product Marketing at Bede Gaming, said the initiative creates a different type of industry interaction focused on people and connection.
“Behind The Gloves creates a very different kind of experience within the industry — one centred around people, wellbeing, and connection.”
Marrs added: “Supporting this initiative was a natural fit for us, and seeing the outcome in support of Interval House shows what’s possible when businesses collaborate around a shared purpose.”
Behind The Gloves stated that SBC Summit Canada forms part of a wider strategy to expand the initiative across industry events and jurisdictions, maintaining a focus on linking wellbeing, engagement and measurable social impact.
