Aaron Alberg's Fundraiser
Spirit Challenge 2024
One wave sets thousands in motion
Welcome to my fundraising page!
My dojo, Thousand Waves, has been an integral part of my life for fifteen years now. Thousand Waves is a community institution that teaches Seido Karate, a traditional Japanese martial art, as a peacemaking and healing practice. The children's program that I started in emphasizes important life skills including respect for ourselves, each other, and our communities, as well as physical coordination, emotional regulation, non-quitting spirit, and tools for handling/responding to bullying. Adults and children alike find the physical act of training to be confidence building and a crucial element of the healing process in dealing with trauma. In short, Thousand Waves fosters a safe and inclusive space for all who need one. If you'd like to read a bit more about the history of the dojo, please check out the website.
Our annual fundraiser, Spirit Challenge, needs to raise $100,000 to continue our mission driven work. Your tax-deductible donation to this 501(c)3 non-profit organization goes towards these three programs (aka here's how Thousand Waves walks the walk):
- Empowerment Self-Defense programming across the Chicagoland area. This critical Violence Prevention work is provided at extremely low cost (or free) so that all communities can benefit. Empowerment Self Defense provides safety skills across the spectrum of violence, from harassment and abuse (like being assertive and setting clear boundaries) to physical violence (like protecting yourself from someone who is much bigger than you). Thousand Waves has been pioneering this important practice since the 1980s, working to provide protection from gender and sexual based violence. In the past five years, more than 1200 people have participated across 130+ sessions.
- Adapted Seido Karate (ASK), in partnership with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, provides karate practice for children with disabilities free of charge. This program ensures students have the support and personalized instruction they need to be successful. More than 50 students have been in this program recently, many of whom have progressed to advanced ranks.
- Thousand Waves Scholarship Program allows anyone to participate in karate classes or Violence Prevention workshops regardless of ability to afford it. Currently, about 15% of Thousand Waves members are on scholarship (totaling over $200,000 since 2019), and this fund is essential to ensure that access to important programming remains available. This program is especially personal to me right now - when I lost my job last October, I was immediately granted a scholarship so I could continue training.
Chicago needs an organization like Thousand Waves now more than ever. Unfortunately these programs cost money and do not generate enough revenue to support themselves. Thousand Waves depends on donors like us for about 20% of its annual income. As an added bonus, Thousand Waves will never solicit past donors of Spirit Challenge. This means no spam or junk mail, and the only person that will ever ask you for anything will be me. I hope you'll join me in supporting this incredible organization this year! Any amount helps (but more is better!)
One wave sets thousands in motion
Love and gratitude,
Aaron
If you'd rather not use a credit card, feel free to use Venmo (@Aaron-Alberg) or Chime (@AaronAlberg) and I'll submit your donation on your behalf.
Here's some pictures of me doing karate!