St. Louis’ Thanksgiving Eve tradition is lacing up again, with police officers and firefighters preparing to trade duty gear for boxing gloves at the Enterprise Center. The 39th annual Budweiser Guns ’N Hoses is scheduled for Wednesday, November 25, 2026, with proceeds supporting families of fallen or catastrophically injured first responders. It is the kind of local tradition where the punches are real, but the reason for throwing them matters more.
First Alert 4 reports that the event, founded in 1987, will again feature three-round bouts involving area police officers and firefighters. The fundraiser benefits The BackStoppers, which provides assistance to families connected to first responders who died in the line of duty or suffered catastrophic injuries.
Fight Card Will Run From Early Bouts To Fox 2 Broadcast
The event’s official calendar lists bouts 1 through 4 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by bouts 5 through 12 airing live on Fox 2 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., according to the Guns ’N Hoses event site. The same listing includes ticket information and a planned 50/50 drawing with an estimated $50,000 prize.
The annual spectacle is presented by the nonprofit St. Louis Guns ’N Hoses Boxing Association and sponsored by Budweiser and Grey Eagle Distributors. The organizers say the event has raised approximately $14 million for The BackStoppers since its launch, with 100% of donations going to the nonprofit, according to the official organization website.
BackStoppers Has Received Million-Dollar Support
The charity’s recent fundraising track record helps explain why the event remains a fixture on the St. Louis calendar. The BackStoppers said the 2025 Guns ’N Hoses event delivered a $1 million donation for the fifth consecutive year, bringing the event’s total raised since 1987 to $14 million.
BackStoppers currently supports approximately 100 families and 75 children, according to the Guns ’N Hoses organization. The event’s mission is summed up on its website as supporting survivors, while also honoring the first responders whose deaths and injuries created the need for that support.
The mix of athletic competition and remembrance has made Guns ’N Hoses a durable St. Louis ritual. Hoodline’s earlier coverage described police officers and firefighters entering the Enterprise Center ring while fans helped raise money for families of fallen first responders. This year’s edition will continue that formula on November 25, with ticket and broadcast details already beginning to take shape.
