Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck (rear, center), flanked to his right by New York Police Lt. Dave Siev and Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, pose for a picture with LAPD, NYPD and LASD deputies and officers at City of Hope in Duarte on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010. The officers and deputies will be boxing in the "Fight for Life" tournament on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010, in Montebello, to raise money for City of Hope. (SGVN/Staff photo by Brian Day)

Nearly 20 cops from the Los Angeles area and New York are preparing to trade blows in an annual boxing match to benefit cancer research at the City of Hope.

The "17th Annual Fight for Life" will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday night at Quiet Cannon, 901 N. Via San Clemente, Montebello.

The boxing match will pit men and women from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Los Angeles police officers against their counterparts at the New York Police Department to raise money for the City of Hope in Duarte, a national leader in the fight against cancer.

Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck and New York police Lt. Dave Siev and the fighters met with hospital officials Wednesday in advance of the bouts.

"Through your efforts and your partnership, you enable City of Hope to do research that saves lives," City of Hope Senior Vice President of Development Alan Levey told the deputies and officers.

Funds raised by Fight for Life - nearly $1 million to date - allow researchers to transform new ideas into life-saving cures, he added.

Baca said he was pleased his department was able to help.

"We're not only enforcing the law," he said, "We're also helping children regain themselves and have a future," he said.

Fight for Life began in 1994 after some deputies in East Los Angeles befriended 9-year-old cancer patient, Joshua Moreno.

Though Moreno died of his disease in 1994, the charity event he inspired continues on.

New York police officers have taken part in Fight for Life before, most recently seven years ago, officials said. Their participation this year is due to an invitation from the LAPD.

"I put out an offer that the NYPD would fight anyone for charity," Siev said. "LAPD took me up on the offer."

Nine fights are expected to take place tonight, including at least one between female fighters. The majority of bouts will place East Coast and West Coast cops in opposite corners of the ring, however LAPD and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are scheduled to clash in at least two fights.

Tickets are available through the Sheriff's Relief Association of Los Angeles County at 562-946-7081, or through the Los Angeles Police Protective League at 213-251-4554. Tickets start at $25, with reserved seating starting at $50 and ringside seats for $100.