Karate training members at Thousand Waves and their supporters organize a week of "Sprit Challenge" events each spring that sharpen our skills, build community, and strengthen our not-for-profit organization. One of the challenges is to raise money by way of asking friends to consider making tax-deductible donations to support some of the work of the organization that is vital to our mission, but not capable to generating enough of their own revenues.

We offer a wide range of feminist practical self-defense workshops at Thousand Waves. I myself have been a volunteer self-defense instructor for more than 10 years. While a fee is charged for participating in the workshops to support a full-time coordinator and some paid teachers, the fees don't come close to covering the cost of the program, and many students are able to attend the workshops only because they receive scholarships to do so. I continue to teach in this program because I can see the huge impact that even a brief workshop can have on participants.

Thousand Waves also operates a great Adapted Seido Karate (ASK) Program in conjunction with the Rehab Institute of Chicago. The program offers weekly classes to children, teens, and young adults who are living with physical and/or mental disabilities. Nearly all of these students are from low-income families who can participate only because of the scholarships that Thousand Waves can offer. While ASK students train off site, they participate in rank promotion testing alongside thbose of us who train at Thousand Waves itself.

In addition to teaching in the self-defense program, I have been a karate training student at Thousand Waves since 1999, and have persevered despite various physical injuries over the years because of the overall fitness benefits and the balance it brings to my life. I know that many of my training partners in the regular karate program are there only because they have been able to take advantage of the scholarship program.

Any contribution you can make will be put to good use to maintain and expand these great programs. Thank you for considering my request.