On Tuesday
25th and Saturday 29th October 2005 members of Tang Sou Dao at Croydon
took part in a Sponsored Kick at Bedford Hall, Croydon to help raise
money for two very different charity organisations, Croydon Voluntary
Association for the Blind (CVAB) and Happy Days Charitable Trust.
I am pleased to announce that a total of £1,131.00 was raised for
these charities from just 24 Students including myself.
CVAB
hire out Bedford Hall, the venue in which we at Croydon train in.
Since we started training here back in April 2005 I have built a good
relationship with the organisers and after seeing the work they do
for local visually impaired people I sensed an opportunity to do something
for their cause.
Around
the same time, someone very close to me was setting up a new charitable
trust called Happy Days. Its aims are to help raise money for the
relief of poor children who are sick, disabled and for the advancement
of education of such children. It is for the relief of poor elderly
persons who are sick and disabled and it is for the relief of persons
in conditions of need, hardship and distress caused from natural disasters.
It is for persons particularly but not exclusively in India, UK and
selected countries in the African subcontinent.
I
knew then I had to organise an event to help raise money for both
organisations and it was the 'Sponsored Kick' Nicola Mayatt had organised
for Cancer Research UK in memory of her late husband Matt Mayatt that
was the inspiration behind my proposal. I wanted to try something
different like a Sponsored Push Up or Sit Up but realised that a Sponsored
Kick was more identifiable with martial arts and it was something
more feasible for all the students to do.
The
event was carried out in the same manner as the previous Sponsored
Kick of October 2004 where students had to kick a target bat as many
times as they can in 1 minute, while placing their foot on the floor
between each kick. It went extremely well with the majority of 'kickers'
getting over 60 kicks in one minute. On a personal note, after seeing
some of the amazing kicking figures from the Cancer Research UK event,
I was aiming for 100 and guess what?…........I tallied exactly 100.
Our other best kicker was Barry Fisher who also totalled 100 kicks.
Michael Nicholas was our best child performer with 87 kicks in one
minute. I must give a special mention to David Goodair and his two
sons Charlie and Daniel who were our biggest fundraiser collecting
over £300!
Instructor
Nick Evagorou straining to get his target of 100
Both Charities
were extremely pleased with our efforts and appreciative of the generous
donations members of Tang Sou Dao have made for them. Richard James,
Director of CVAB, was kind enough to make a personal thank you to
me and my students by visiting the class and giving a small speech.
The money
raised for CVAB will go towards a new Braille transcription service,
the weekly Croydon Talking Newspaper, talking clocks and watches,
folding white canes, computer software for the visually impaired and
many rehabilitation resource materials.
Instructor
Nick Evagorou presenting cheque to Richard James
and members of CVAB
Instructor Nick Evagorou
with Miss Bhakti Patel,
trustee of Happy Days Charitable Trust
I would like
to take this opportunity to thank all my students who took part and
for collecting a fantastic amount of money. For a small club such
as Croydon it was an overwhelming feeling to donate money in excess
of £1000!
Tang
Sou!
Nick
Evagorou (2nd Duan)
If you would
like make a donation to either charity then please send cheques payable
to C.V.A.B and/or Happy Days Charitable Trust with covering note directly
to the following addresses:
Croydon Voluntary
Association for the Blind
72-74 Wellesley Road
Croydon
Surrey CRO 2AR
Happy Days
Charitable Trust
5 Sergison Road
Haywards Heath
West Sussex RH16 1HS
Article By
Nick Evagorou (2nd Duan)
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