THE HEINS'

Coming out of the pandemic, Sun Dragon was a blessing for the bright, fiery energy of an 11 year old girl like Ruhiyya, who shadow boxed and kicked her way through the shut down of activity. Not only did it give her a safe space to kick new friends (who were of course doing the same ;), it harnessed this expression into one of personal development (as she marched towards teenage-hood).

After two years of supporting her journey with martial arts, and seeing the impact of this genuine, courageous organization and inclusive community, Ru’s father Shane was inspired to knock the 20 year rust off his own martial arts path and follow in her footsteps to begin an active practice once again.

Together, they are contributing to the greater mission of Sun Dragon through this important fundraiser, by kicking the commitment of:

• 1000 kicks 
• PLUS another 1000 kicks 
• for a total of 2000!!

Help them achieve their goal of making the benefits this organization has to offer available to more people!

SUN DRAGON

Sun Dragon Martial Arts & Self Defense is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization that teaches violence prevention and Seido karate to students of all ages, genders, and backgrounds.

How does martial arts training help our students? Here’s an example:

One fundamental skill for martial artists is awareness of our surroundings and the ability to respond immediately to changes and challenges in our environment. When Covid struck Austin, we quickly realized that our traditional approach to teaching was no longer safe and within a week we had completely shifted to online classes via Zoom. Our goals also pivoted from teaching physical skills in person to creating an online refuge where our students could:

• connect with others
• feel a sense of comfort and continuity with their pre-pandemic lives
• continue to love and support their friends and partners despite our physical separation.

Sun Dragon’s Zoom program was an important resource for all of us to help get through the pandemic and deal with the loss and disconnection that we’ve felt over the past couple of years.

Kickathon donations support our scholarship program and provide free or low-cost violence prevention classes and training, regardless of a student’s ability to pay. Last year, Kickathon donations allowed Sun Dragon to:

• provide $15,000 in scholarships to students in the community
• host 61 hours of violence prevention workshops reaching more than 620 people.

As an organization we have set a goal of $35,000.00 for the 2024 Kickathon. We would appreciate any amount you can provide toward that goal!