Spirit Challenge is a week of karate-related athletic events for which a strong spirit is needed to meet the challenges. And it’s an opportunity to raise money for Thousand Waves Martial Arts and Self-Defense Center. Last year my supporters combined efforts to help me raise $1,000! With your help, I hope to match or beat this amount in 2015.

Thousand Waves is a community organization comprised of people who work to stop violence in our society in multiple ways, including:

• Personal transformation through karate programs for people of all ages. Scholarships ensure this training is available to all, regardless of ability to pay.
• Self-defense classes and workshops teach people to avoid being a victim of violence and abuse. TW staff and volunteers travel all over the Chicago area to deliver these programs, often enabled by TW scholarships which are given to both organizations and individuals.
• Adapted Seido Karate program, a partnership with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, enables children with disabilities to train in karate for free. This is important, because disabled kids are more likely than others to be targeted for violence.

To donate, click the “Donate Now” button under the thermometer.