KELOWNA, B.C. – Kees Tae Kwon Do school helped students raise money for a global cause Friday by kicking out boards.
Breaking Boards Breaking Chains (BBBC) is a public display of martial arts board breaking to raise money for International Justice Mission (IJM), a charity that helps free slaves in third-world countries.
School owner Trevor Warkentin paired with Martial Arts for Justice for the event.
“To actually see what’s happening in other parts of the world was quite shocking to me,” said Warkentin. “I thought it was a great opportunity since we work with children all the time, to give a chance for our children to give back as well.”
“IGM just doesn’t rescue victims, they fix the local justice system,” said Master Deam Siminoff, Martial Arts for Justice president.
Kees Tae Kwon Do student Taya Duke raised $560 by breaking 28 boards.
“It’s just sad to see kids suffering like that,” said Duke.
Dozens of martial arts schools across Canada are also holding board breaking fundraisers for IJM, according to Siminoff.
The first BBBC was held in Nelson in 2013.
Siminoff said nearly 30 million men, women and children are held in slavery today, a number quoted from the Global Slavery Index.
Comments