The Santa Monica City Council voted 6-1 on July 28 to waive up to $16,950 in city fees and to commit $12,500 in council discretionary funds for the Butterfly Brawl, a charity boxing event returning to the Santa Monica Pier next month.
The lone opponent, Councilmember Dan Hall, said he supported the event itself but objected to waiving public fees for what he described as a private company.
The Butterfly Brawl, billed as a combination of high-level boxing, entertainment and philanthropy in support of cancer-related causes, is scheduled for Aug. 22 on the pier. Negrete said "the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society," with a focus this year on youth with cancer.
The request came from Councilmembers Lana Negrete and Barry Snell and Mayor Caroline Torosis, who together pledged the discretionary money: $5,000 from Negrete, $5,000 from Snell and $2,500 from Torosis. The fee waiver covers the city's portion of costs associated with staging the event on the pier.
Negrete, who introduced the item, said the event had personal origins. "We had it for the first time last year," she said, recalling that it began as the "Butterfly Ball" — spelled B-A-L-L — to support a family member of a person "who lost their life to cancer." She said the event later "morphed" into the Butterfly Brawl, shifting its focus to up-and-coming and female fighters.
"Last year it was beyond a success," Negrete said. She said the event drew favorable press and even attracted boxing announcers who, organizers later learned, lived in Santa Monica. "There was no incidents," she added.
Negrete said organizers came out of pocket last year to involve young people, including children from the Police Activities League and other community youth. She encouraged residents to attend, calling it "pretty cool to have a boxing ring on the pier" and saying "everybody should go."
Because the council had approved a similar package of support for the inaugural event, Negrete framed this year's request as a repeat. "It's just repeating what we did last year to help offset some of those costs," she said.
Hall cast the only no vote. He praised the event but said the city's signature events policy existed "for a reason" and warned that waiving the city's share of fees creates ripple effects for other partners. Each time the council waives its portion, he said, "it applies pressure to the [Pier] Corporation because they also are asked to waive their fees, and they can't afford to do it in the way that we can."
Hall also questioned who would benefit from the waiver. "Fightbook is ... a for-profit company," he said. "They do not have a nonprofit status with IRS, and I don't think it's appropriate for us to be waiving city fees for a for-profit company."
Despite Hall's objection, the measure passed comfortably. Voting in favor were Negrete, Councilmember Raskin, Mayor Pro Tem Swick, Snell, Councilmember Zarneskaya and Torosis. Hall was the only member opposed.
The item was the final piece of business before the council recessed. According to the meeting record, members are not scheduled to reconvene until the second Tuesday in August.
The report supporting the request was prepared by Sergio Ramirez, chief of staff, and included an attachment tracking the council's discretionary fund spending.
Butterfly Brawl's stated mission, as described in the city report, is to combine high-level boxing, entertainment and philanthropy in support of cancer-related causes. Negrete urged residents to attend, saying the event brings a boxing ring to the pier and draws local youth, including Police Activities League children, into the day's activities.