Jeffries Help is at Hand

TONY JEFFRIES has raised more £50,000 for charity since returning home from last summer's Olympics with a treasured bronze medal. His fantastic efforts have led to calls for the Sunderland hero to be recognised in the New Year honours list. Jeffries' popularity is soaring and the might Mackem's third professional contest in his home city at Seaham Centre on July 10 is close to a complete sell-out. The 24-year-old's latest charity efforts was at Bridges shopping centre last weekend when he raised another five figure sum, with the benefactor, Grace House hospice appeal. Jeffries performed a public workout with trainer Bobby Rimmer and then spent three hours signing autographs and posing for pictures. Promoter Frank Maloney said: ""When honours are given out for charity work, Tony deserves some sort of accolade. The time he puts in helping various charities is incredible "He doesn't just turn up sign a few pictures and go home. He is active in organising events like white collar box evenings." In a special attraction on the bill Jeffries possible future opponent and fellow Olympic bronze medallist Darren Sutherland aims to show his awesome potential. Maloney will name the super-middleweight duo's opponents later this week. In the Sunderland bill topper Bristol southpaw Lee Haskins (18-2) defends his British super-flyweight title against Sheffield's serving soldier Ross Burkinshaw (6-1-2). The cream of boxing talent in the north-east will also box on the card including local heavyweights Dave Ferguson and Danny Hughes. Newcastle's fighting brothers John Lewis Dickinson and Travis Dickinson are also in action.