Dawn Mencin, hands wrapped in tape, bounced on her toes, waiting for her turn to enter the boxing ring.

Around her, fists thumping into punching bags and the quick beat of the jump rope easily could be heard in the St. Louis County Police and Fire Academy's gym. Men and women stood on the floor, some air punching while watching the action in the boxing ring.

A firefighter with the Old Monroe Volunteer Fire Department in Lincoln County, Mencin and 60 other first responders gathered Nov. 10 for the Guns 'N Hoses Box-Off. The winners were chosen for the final card of the Nov. 24 Budweiser Guns 'N Hoses. (See related story).

When asked why she wanted to go and get punched in the boxing ring, Mencin, 36, smiled.

"I don't know if anybody really wants to go into the ring," she said. "It's for a good cause we all believe in."

For the competitors, it's worth getting a black eye in return for their families' financial security.

Guns 'N Hoses raises money for the Backstoppers, a group that provides financial assistance for the families of fallen police officers and firefighters. Since 1987, the event has raised more than $3 million.

"Any day you step out of your police car or fire truck, it could be your last," Maplewood Police Officer Darryl Overall, 42, said. "I'm not trying to be dramatic. That's just the simple truth.

Overall, who is married with three children, added that "it's a comfort to know that the Backstoppers are there to help your family."

In its 24th year, Guns 'N Hoses also has become a Thanksgiving tradition for many people, said Jim Hubbard, event coordinator for the St. Louis Guns 'N Hoses Boxing Association.

"It's on Thanksgiving Eve," Hubbard said. "We feel it kind of kicks off the holiday season in St. Louis. It's for a good cause and people will see some good boxing."

The 2009 Guns 'N Hoses drew more than 16,000 people to the Scottrade Center. It first started at the old Kiel Auditorium, growing in attendance each year.

However, after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 in New York City and Washington, D.C., its attendance really grew.

"I think people realized the sacrifices the firefighters and police make," Hubbard said. "Guns 'N Hoses grew after that."

The annual event is a good time for first responders to meet each other.

"You tend to know the people you work with, but you don't know who's working on the next block," Hubbard said.

Besides, the participants display a lot of competitive feeling.

"First responders have a lot of pride," Hubbard said. "They worked hard to get their badges, going through the academies. It's safe to say that they all want to win."

Mencin agreed.

"Everybody around here calls it the Big Show," she said. "Who doesn't want to go to the Big Show?"

Budweiser Guns 'N Hoses

7 p.m. Nov. 24

Scottrade Center

For ticket information, go to www.stlgunsandhoses.com or call 560-9226 for St. Louis County and other Missouri counties; 713-6031 for St. Louis County; 444-5795 for St. Louis City; 618-622-1507 in Illinois