I've been training at Sun Dragon for eight years, and have spent most of them doing 1,000 kicks at our annual Kickathon to raise funds for our community self-defense programming. This will be my last Kickathon, as I'll be moving to Seattle in the fall. Leaving Austin will be bittersweet, but leaving Sun Dragon feels, truly, like leaving home.

These days, I'm working toward my second-degree black belt, I help teach karate to kids and self-defense to grownups, and I recently transitioned off Sun Dragon's board of directors after five great years. I have been able to watch our community programs grow and expand every year thanks to the amazing and full-hearted donations we got from people like you. Sun Dragon instructors have taught personal safety and self-empowerment strategies at elementary schools, at social justice conferences, at resource fairs for women experiencing homelessness, at the Texas School for the Blind, to social workers and teen girls and young parents. We offer scholarships for all of our programming and strive to make it available to anyone, no matter what they are able to afford.

In honor of my last Kickathon, in honor of Sun Dragon and the community it might actually break my heart to leave, in honor of the idea that everyone has the right to feel strong and safe and respected - would you consider making a donation? 

Thank you, friends, and I will think of you when I'm kicking! (Only in the most loving way, of course... xo)