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| 6000 combined kicks later... |
It was another hot and airless night in the main gym of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) as we each performed 500 kicks with a hearty kiai. Wishful thoughts of oxygen masks were combined with a feeling of accomplishment as we struggled on.
The reason for this physical anguish was our 17th Annual Charity "Kickathon" in aid of drug addiction treatment programs offered by CAMH. Thanks to our many generous sponsors we were able to raise $7,520 this year for this important cause.
Indeed, this year the event hit a major milestone - we have now raised over $100,000 since the event began (the actual running total is $101,970).
Shorinji Kempo was founded in Tadotsu, Japan by Kaiso Doshin So in 1947 and has since then spread across the world. Kaiso intended Shorinji Kempo to be more than just a martial art - he hoped that its members would play a positive role in society. Every year in the month of May, Shorinji Kempo members all over the world engage in charitable and community events as a concrete reminder of Kaiso's goals.
Shorinji Kempo Toronto Branch has chosen to assist CAMH in its efforts to combat drug addiction as its annual "Kaiso Day" activity. Drug addiction is one of the most powerful and devastating maladies of our our modern age. It not only leads to the destruction of the addict's life but has numerous community impacts too.
It is clear that many centralized approaches have had limited effectiveness in dealing with this issue (see the US "War on Drugs" for example). However, providing help to those who wish to quit is a high payoff investment with an impressive success rate. It is this type of approach that our event supports.
We would like to thank our many family members, friends, business donors and colleagues for their generous ongoing support of our charity event.
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| All done! |
The CAMH event donation page will be online for a few more days, so please donate!
Gassho